Responsible play

1. Help, right now

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. You can ask at the reception desk; you do not need to explain why.

2. Who may enter

Casinos in Germany are licensed and supervised by the individual federal states, and each state sets its own admission age. In Baden-Württemberg guests are admitted only from 21; in Bavaria the minimum age to play is 21 (guests aged 18 to 20 may enter only when accompanied and may not play); in 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.

3. House rules

• 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 (Baden-Baden, Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg) ask for smart attire; a jacket is expected or can be borrowed at the door. The slot-machine areas are generally more relaxed. Dress codes are published on each casino's website and are listed on our guide pages.
• 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.

4. 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 registered, you will be refused admission everywhere in Germany for the chosen period. Family members who are worried about someone can also apply for a third-party exclusion. Details and forms are published by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt.

5. Warning signs

Play has stopped being entertainment when you notice that you are spending more time or money than planned, returning to win back losses, hiding how much you play from people close to you, borrowing to play, or feeling restless and irritable when you cannot. Any one of these is a good reason to take the self-test at check-dein-spiel.de or to call the helpline. Problem gambling is treatable, and the earlier you talk about it, the easier it is.

6. 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.