After France and the United Kingdom, the Western European country with
the most casino facilities is Germany. Germany casinos include one of
the most famous and historic of all Europe's casinos, the Spielbank
Baden-Baden, but also a number of new and modern casinos have been built
to cater to the growing demand for gambling in Germany. Additionally,
Germany is becoming a center for online casinos, with German casino
sites set to become the most numerous non-English language casino sites
on the Internet.
Germany casinos require registration, but this can normally be done on
the spot with some photographic ID. In addition, there may occasionally
be a token entry fee to the table gaming area of the casino, but this
is rarely more than 5 Euros. Dress codes vary, but while as a rule,
there is a relaxed dress code for the slot machine area in most Germany
casinos, there is usually a strict jacket and tie dress code for the
gaming tables themselves.
The most famous casino in Germany is without doubt the Spielbank in
Baden-Baden, inaugurated in 1824. Situated in the Kurhaus, it is one of
the most imposing and beautiful casino buildings anywhere in the world.
Even if you do not wish to risk a spin of the roulette wheel, guided
tours of the building are available, so there is no reason not to see
the interior of this magnificent building.
After the heady days of the nineteenth century, gambling in Germany
underwent something of a slump due to economic difficulties, political
upheaval, and partition, after which gambling was virtually impossible
in the East. In the last decade or so, however, there has been a
resurgence in interest in gambling in the country, aided by a buoyant
sports betting market that has undergone rapid liberalization and
benefited from Germany's hosting of the 2006 Football World Cup. As a
result, the demand for Germany casinos has surged forward, and the
German love of gambling, and particularly cards, is now bearing fruit
for the German casino operators.
There is also a thriving online betting sector; German betting sites are
the most rapidly growing in any language other than English, and
foreign betting sites are increasingly translating their online
facilities into German to cater to this demand. Unsurprisingly, these
websites cater more closely to the native German gambler, but Germany
casinos are very much geared to the foreign tourist as well, and are
well worth visiting during any stay in Germany.
