Responsible play

Help, right now

The federal helpline is 0800 1 37 27 00. It is free, anonymous and in German, and it is run by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG, formerly the BZgA). At the time of writing it is staffed Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00 and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The current hours are on check-dein-spiel.de.

Online counselling and a self-test are available at check-dein-spiel.de, the programme for players and their families.

Every licensed casino in Germany also has trained staff who can talk with you discreetly, hand you information and start a self-exclusion on the spot. Ask at the reception desk. You do not need to explain why.

Who may enter

Casinos in Germany are licensed and supervised by the individual federal states, and each state sets its own admission age.

• Baden-Württemberg: guests are admitted only from 21.
• Bavaria: the minimum age to play is 21. Adults aged 18 to 20 may enter only when accompanied, and may not play.
• Berlin and Hesse: the minimum age is 18.

Photo ID is checked at the door of every Spielbank, and most venues register visitors at the entrance so that the nationwide exclusion list can be checked. This website is intended for readers aged 18 and over.

Before you go in

Identification

A passport or national ID card is required. A driving licence is usually not accepted.

Dress

The classic gaming rooms of the historic casinos ask for smart attire. Baden-Baden requires a jacket for gentlemen, Bad Homburg keeps a loan jacket at the door, and Wiesbaden turns away sportswear and shorts. The slot-machine areas are generally more relaxed. Each casino publishes its dress code on its own website, and we list them on the guide pages and on the admission and dress code page.

Entrance fee

Many classic casinos charge a small admission fee for the table-game rooms.

Limits

Decide on a budget before you arrive and treat it as the price of the evening, not as a stake to win back. Leave cards you do not intend to use in the hotel safe.

Self-exclusion

Germany runs a nationwide player-exclusion system, OASIS, that applies to every licensed casino and gaming hall in the country. You can ask for a self-exclusion at the reception of any Spielbank, or in writing to the authority that operates the system, the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt.

Once you are registered, you are refused admission everywhere in Germany for the period you chose. Family members who are worried about someone can also apply for a third-party exclusion. The Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt publishes the details and forms.

Warning signs

Play has stopped being entertainment when you notice that you are:

• spending more time or money than you planned
• returning to win back losses
• hiding how much you play from people close to you
• borrowing in order to play
• restless or irritable when you cannot play

Any one of these is a good reason to take the self-test at check-dein-spiel.de or to call 0800 1 37 27 00. Problem gambling is treatable, and the earlier you talk about it, the easier it is.

Keeping it a holiday

The hotels in this guide are worth the trip on their own: thermal baths, Michelin-starred kitchens, lakes, parks and concert halls. Plan the casino as one evening among several, book a table or a spa slot for the following morning, and let the architecture of a 19th-century gaming room be the reason you went in. That is how these places were meant to be enjoyed.