Dhe Bremen Senate wants to significantly reduce the number of arcades and betting shops in the city. To this end, the minimum distance between gambling establishments is to be increased from 250 meters to 500 meters. The interior department confirmed a corresponding report by the regional magazine “buten un binnen” on Friday.
Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) said that there are 1.3 million people in Germany with gambling problems. “One way to help these people is to reduce the availability of gambling.” According to the plans, arcades may not be closer than 250 meters to secondary schools.
The plans of the interior and economic departments are to be implemented with a transition phase until the end of 2024. According to the interior department, all licenses for gambling facilities in Bremen will expire by then. Dozens of arcades and betting shops are expected to lose their licenses.
Many federal states are trying to control the gaming facilities via distance rules. In 2017, the Federal Constitutional Court declared the determination of minimum distances to be fundamentally legal.
–
