MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Betting thousands of euros on poker, blackjack or roulette on the Internet - the fact that this is now being offered by the state for the first time in Bavaria has sparked criticism and concern among gambling addiction experts. "We view this very critically," said Konrad Landgraf, Managing Director of the Bavarian State Office for Gambling Addiction, to the German Press Agency. "The offer increases demand. Until now, the great advantage of state casinos was that they only existed in nine locations. Thanks to the possibility of participating in casino games online, the casinos' offerings are available everywhere in Bavaria."

The state office had already expressed these concerns in a statement on the most recent amendment to the State Treaty on Gambling. However, Landgraf said that the Advisory Council on Gambling Addiction, which is supposed to advise the federal states on this according to the State Treaty, had not been asked about the specific offer from the Bavarian lottery and casino administration. "We are of the opinion that this is a new offer and would have liked to have been consulted. However, the provider side sees it differently."

The casino administration announced on Tuesday that it would be the first state provider in Germany to offer an online casino - as a supplement to the nine casinos in the state. It is a "modern, reputable and secure gaming offer".

Participation is only possible for players aged 18 and over who are resident and domiciled in Bavaria. Individual betting and loss limits, player bans, a ban on parallel gaming and identification and authentication procedures as well as an automated system for the early detection of players at risk of addiction should therefore ensure safe, responsible gaming.

Nevertheless, Landgraf, the managing director of the state office, sees weaknesses in the protection of gamblers at risk of addiction. Although the blocking file works quite well, players could still quickly lose a lot of money with the new offer: "If you can increase the deposit limit from 1000 euros to 10,000 euros per month, and in exceptional cases even to 30,000 euros, this online casino hardly offers any protection at all."

The State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria estimates that more than 200,000 people in Bavaria are addicted to gambling. A majority of those affected who sought help at Bavarian advice centers preferred to gamble online in 2021 and 2022. According to the data, slot machines and sports betting were particularly popular among those affected in this area. This was followed by online casino games - which were not yet offered by the state at the time./fjm/DP/zb