Organizing games with the possibility of winning commercially

• You are in possession of a  clearance certificate (opens in a new tab) from the Federal Criminal Police Office (in the case of traveling trade: from the State Criminal Police Office) or a copy thereof.
• You and the trader in whose establishment the game is to be organized have the necessary reliability for the organization of games with the possibility of winning.

Note: You do not have the required reliability if you have been convicted of a crime, theft, embezzlement, extortion, receiving stolen goods, money laundering, concealment of unlawfully obtained assets, fraud, embezzlement, illegal organization of a game of chance, participation in illegal gambling or an offence under Section 27 of the German Youth Protection Act in the three years prior to submitting your application.

• The game must be organized in an arcade or similar establishment.
• A maximum of three such games may be organized there.

• at public festivals, shooting festivals or similar events,
• fairs or special markets or
• in restaurants or accommodation establishments (with the exception of those that are predominantly frequented by children and young people).

You can apply for permission in writing or in electronic form to the responsible office. A simple e-mail is not sufficient. You can also apply for the permit via the network of single points of contact.

You must provide the required information and submit any documents that may be relevant to the assessment of your application.

Permission may be granted for a limited period or subject to conditions if this is necessary to protect the general public, guests, residents of the premises or neighboring properties or in the interests of the protection of minors. Conditions may also be added, amended or supplemented at a later date.

• Completed application form
• Copy of identity card or comparable identification document
• Current excerpt from the commercial or cooperative register, if the company is entered in the register; otherwise a copy of the articles of association (e.g. for a civil law partnership (GbR))
• If the company is based abroad: documents from the country of domicile that prove the legal form
• Extract from the Federal Central Criminal Register (certificate of good conduct) for submission to an authority for each person responsible for managing the company or a branch office (for legal entities: for all persons authorized to represent the company by law, articles of association or partnership agreement)
• Extract from the central trade register for each person entrusted with the management of the business or a branch (in the case of legal entities: for the legal entity itself and for all persons authorized to represent it by law, articles of association or partnership agreement)
• Certificate in tax matters from the responsible tax office
• Extract from the debtor register of the central enforcement court
• Information from the insolvency court as to whether proceedings have been opened
• Clearance certificate from the municipal tax office
• If you live abroad: documents from your home country that prove your personal reliability
•  Clearance certificate from the Federal Criminal Police Office (opens in a new tab) or a copy thereof
• if you wish to organize the games as part of a traveling trade:
  •  Travel trade license (opens in a new tab)
  • Clearance certificate from the State Criminal Police Office or a copy thereof
• if applicable: proof of personal reliability from the trader at whose premises the event is to take place:
  • if this trader is resident in Germany, he will generally require
    •  Certificate of good conduct (opens in a new tab)
    •  Extract from the central trade register (opens in a new tab)
  • if they are resident abroad, they will need documents from their home country to prove that they are personally reliable

In the case of legal entities (GmbH, company, AG, registered cooperative), you only need to complete the application form for the legal entity itself. You must submit all personal documents for all natural persons authorized to manage the company (e.g. identity papers). For the legal entity, you also need an excerpt from the central trade register.

Partnerships (GbR, KG, OHG, PartG, GmbH Co. KG) are not eligible for a license as such. Therefore, each managing partner requires a permit. You must submit a completed application form and all personal documents for each of these persons.

•  § Section 33d of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO) (Other games with the possibility of winning) (opens in a new tab)
•  § Section 33e GewO (Type approval and clearance certificate) (opens in a new tab)
•  § Section 60a of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO) (organization of games) (opens in a new tab)
•  § Section 4 and Section 5 of the Gaming Ordinance (SpielV) (games requiring a license) (opens in a new tab)
•  § Section 5a SpielV (games not requiring a license) (opens in a new tab)
•  § Section 3a of the State Administrative Procedure Act (LVwVfG) (electronic communication) (opens in a new tab)
• § Section 6b (1) GewO (opens in a new tab) and  Section 71a et seq. LVwVfG (opens in a new tab) in conjunction with  Sections 1 et seq. of the Act on Single Points of Contact for the State of Baden-Württemberg (EAG BW) (opens in a new tab) (procedure via a single point of contact, single points of contact)