Gaming arcades - apply for an operating license

The requirements include

• general requirements under commercial law, such as the reliability of the person operating the business, as well as
• gambling law requirements, in particular the submission of a social concept.

You must state the following in the social concept,

• how you will prevent problematic and pathological gambling,
• how you will monitor compliance with relevant regulations and deal with violations,
• how you will refer affected gamblers to the help system and
• who the responsible persons are.

You must provide your staff with special training at your own expense. The requirements for a social concept for gaming arcades and further information on training can be found on the website of the State Health Office. There you will also find information on training providers. The overview is updated on an ongoing basis.

The operation of the arcade must meet the requirements of youth protection and player protection. This also includes

• carrying out admission checks to ensure that no persons under the age of 18 are present in the arcade.
• educating and informing players about the probability of winning and losing and the risks of addiction, and
• compliance with the advertising restrictions applicable to gaming arcades.

You will not receive a permit in the following cases:

• You are not sufficiently reliable.This is usually the case if you have been convicted of a crime under criminal law within the last three years, for theft, embezzlement, extortion, receiving stolen goods, fraud, embezzlement, unauthorized organization of a game of chance, participation in unauthorized gambling or for an offence under Section 12 of the Youth Protection Act.
• If you already have a building permit, the competent authority may not deny you the gaming arcade permit for reasons that it has already examined as part of the building permit procedure.
• The operation of the arcade gives rise to fears of a risk to young people, excessive exploitation of the gambling instinct, harmful effects on the environment within the meaning of the Federal Immission Control Act or any other unreasonable nuisance to the general public, neighbors or an existing facility in the public interest.
• The arcade does not maintain the required distance from other arcades. This is at least 500 meters as the crow flies, measured from entrance door to entrance door.
• The arcade does not maintain the required distance from an existing facility for children and young people. This is at least 500 meters as the crow flies, measured from entrance door to entrance door.
• A permit is requested for an arcade that is structurally linked to other arcades, especially if it is housed in a shared building or building complex (prohibition of multiple licenses, which applies independently in addition to the specified distance requirements).

Note: The permit to operate a gaming arcade does not include the permit to set up gaming machines with the possibility of winning and the confirmation of suitability, which you must apply for separately.

If you wish to serve alcoholic beverages in connection with the operation of an amusement arcade, you must also apply for a pub license. It is not permitted to operate a pub or restaurant on the premises of a gaming arcade during the closing time for gaming arcades.

Please note: The total number of gaming machines with the possibility of winning (slot machines) in an arcade is limited in accordance with the Gaming Ordinance. You may set up a maximum of one gaming machine per twelve square meters of floor space. The total number of machines may not exceed twelve. When serving alcohol, you are currently subject to an upper limit of two machines. When calculating the floor space, ancillary rooms (e.g. storage rooms, toilets, corridors) are not included. You must set up the devices in such a way that no player can operate more than two devices at the same time. In contrast, there is no limit to the number of amusement machines (machines on which neither money nor goods can be won) in an arcade.

For faster processing, we recommend not submitting applications until all necessary documents are attached. The catering authority will then check the requirements. You will be informed of the result in writing.

Documents in case of application by natural person

• Application
• Lease/rental agreement or proof of ownership (copy)
• Building permit (copy)
• Installation permit pursuant to § 33 c (1) of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (copy)
• Floor plan drawing of all operating rooms on a scale of 1:100 (duplicate) with marking of the locations of the slot machines and gaming machines as well as the location of the gaming hall supervisor
• Calculation of usable space of all operating rooms (duplicate)
• City map on a scale of 1:10,000, showing a perimeter around the location with a radius of 500 meters
• Social concept according to the state gambling law
• Information from the central business register
• Information from the certificate of good conduct (for submission to an authority)
• Certificate in tax matters (clearance certificate) from the municipality. Please submit a clearance certificate from all municipalities in which you have been commercially active and have lived in the last three years.
• Certificate in tax matters (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung) from the tax office
• Extract from the debtors' register of the local court responsible for the place of residence
• Extract from the insolvency register of the local court responsible for the place of residence

Documents in case of application by legal entity

• Application
• Information from the central business register
• Lease/rental agreement or proof of ownership (copy)
• Building permit (copy)
• Certificate in tax matters (clearance certificate) from the municipality. Please submit a clearance certificate from all municipalities in which the legal entity has been engaged in commercial activities in the last three years.
• Certificate in tax matters (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung) from the tax office
• Extract from the debtors' register of the local court responsible for the place of business (the main branch)
• Extract from the insolvency register of the local court responsible for the place of business (the main branch)
• Extract from the commercial or cooperative register
• Set-up permit pursuant to § 33 c (1) of the Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (copy)
• Floor plan drawing of all operating premises on a scale of 1:100 (duplicate) with identification of the locations of the slot machines and gaming machines as well as the location of the gaming hall supervisor
• Calculation of usable space of all operating rooms (duplicate)
• City map on a scale of 1:10,000, showing a perimeter around the location with a radius of 500 meters
• Social concept according to the state gambling law

Required documents of the legal representative of the legal entity

Please submit your application in good time so that processing can be completed before the desired start of your activity requiring a permit.

3 months as soon as all required documents are available

Permit to operate a gaming arcade (32-22)

Costs: 1200 Euro to 12300 Euro

Special regulation: The fee is due when the invoice is sent. If the fee is not paid within the statutory period (1 month), reminder fees and default surcharges must be charged.

Legal basis: § 2 Administrative fee statutes of the City of Stuttgart in conjunction with Section 13.32 of the schedule of fees for the administrative fee statutes

§§ 40 to 46 State Gaming Act (LGlüG) (gaming halls)
§ 33c Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO) (gaming machines with the possibility of winning)
§ 33d Trade, Commerce and Industry Regulation Act (GewO) (Other games with the possibility of winning)