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On the premises: Spielbanken in Germany: the licensed houses

On the premises

Spielbanken in Germany: the licensed houses

Seven houses in profile: operator, games, opening hours and admission. A Spielbank is a land-based casino licensed by an individual German state, so the rules differ from state to state — even the minimum age does. What is identical everywhere is the check at the door.

By the Casinohafen deskUpdated: 5 October 2026Checked: September 2026

Houses in profile
7
Admission from
18 years*
Exclusion check
OASIS compulsory since 1 July 2021
Penalty for breach
500,000 € max.

What the word Spielbank means, and why it is not the same as a casino licence

Spielbank is the German term for a land-based casino with a state concession. It is a separate legal world from online play: the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag, the treaty that governs online casinos and sports betting nationwide, leaves the land-based houses to the sixteen federal states, each of which has its own Spielbankgesetz. That is why a licence question answered on the online pages of this site does not answer the same question here.

One consequence matters straight away: the 1,000 euro monthly deposit cap that applies online has no equivalent at the door of a Spielbank.

The check at the door is compulsory

Since 1 July 2021 every Spielbank checks the identity document against the nationwide exclusion register. Breaches can be penalised with up to 500,000 euro. The register, OASIS, is run by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt on behalf of all the states, and the duty to check covers arcades and betting shops as well.

For a visitor that means two things: bring a passport or identity card, and expect an existing self-exclusion to be recognised in Kassel exactly as it is online.

The houses one by one

Why Osnabrück is the odd one out

* In Lower Saxony the minimum age has been 21 since 21 May 2022. It applies to all of the state's Spielbanken and therefore to Osnabrück as well — nationwide it is the only deviation, and the clearest illustration that admission is a matter of state law rather than federal law.

State-owned houses, private concessionaires

Hesse and Hamburg have worked with private concessionaires for decades. North Rhine-Westphalia sold its four houses in 2021, Lower Saxony handed over its ten locations in 2025. Bavaria sticks to state operation. Ownership decides who holds a concession and for how long, and where the Spielbankabgabe — the levy on gross gaming revenue, set separately and often progressively in each state's law — is paid.

Why seven houses and no complete list

There is no single official count of German Spielbanken; published figures differ widely, so this site names no total. The seven profiled here span the range: state-run and privately concessioned, spa-town halls and purpose-built houses, large table sections and slot-led floors. Where a house does not itself publish its admission price or dress code, the field stays empty rather than carrying an aggregator's figure.

Frequently asked

Does an OASIS self-exclusion also apply in a land-based Spielbank?
Yes. The check at the entrance has been compulsory for every form of gambling since 1 July 2021 — Spielbank, arcade, betting shop and online alike.
Why is admission in Osnabrück only from 21?
Lower Saxony raised the minimum age to 21 by state law with effect from 21 May 2022. It applies to every Spielbank in that state and is the only such deviation in Germany.
Does the 1,000 euro monthly deposit limit apply in a Spielbank?
No. That cross-operator cap applies to the online offering of licensed operators. A land-based Spielbank is governed by its state's own law, though the exclusion check applies in both cases.

Sources

  1. Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt, the authority responsible for the nationwide exclusion system OASIS.
  2. Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (German State Treaty on Gambling), duty to check against the exclusion register for all forms of gambling since 1 July 2021.
  3. Niedersächsisches Spielbankengesetz (Lower Saxony Casino Act), minimum age raised to 21 with effect from 21 May 2022.
  4. Information published by the houses themselves, as researched in September 2026.

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