Latest News
Gambling ban on Cologne seniors’ illegal bingo game to be lifted

Residents at a retirement home in Cologne were told earlier this week that their weekly bingo game was illegal. They have now been given a three-month licence to play the game in which the winner gets chocolates.
The relief must be palpable at the Sozial-Betriebe residential home in Cologne. On Monday the old folks’ home announced that it had banned all further bingo games among its residents after city authorities had warned it that the games were taking place in contravention of German gambling laws.
“We were completely speechless at first when we heard about it, we never thought that we, a senior citizen’s institution, were running an illegal gambling ring,” said the home’s manager, Gabriele Patzke.
The pensioners at the home each contribute a sum of €0.50 to the weekly game and stand the chance of winning a box of chocolates at the end.
An accountant had alerted the city authorities to a potential violation of gambling laws last year.
But on Tuesday city authorities said they hoped to have the ban lifted quickly.
A spokesperson for the city said that “we hope to solve this quickly and unbureaucratically by giving them a three-month permit.“
A lawyer for the home confirmed that the permit was in the pipeline, adding that the city decided that the bingo games fell under the law on “small lotteries”, which has a simplified application procedure.
But for the seniors to keep indulging their vice, they will have to jump through more bureaucratic hoops in the future. Besides only receiving an initial three-month gambling permit, the home will have to notify authorities each time a game is to take place.
-
Central Europe7 days ago
WinCasino debuts in Warsaw with a new flagship venue
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
KSA: ZEbetting and Betca Warned About Prohibited Betting Offer
-
Interviews6 days ago
Exploring Uncrossable Rush with Evoplay’s Ivan Kravchuk and SlotCatalog’s Mickey Winitsky
-
Latest News7 days ago
New Nevis Online Gaming Bill Takes Effect — What Businesses Need to Know
-
eSports7 days ago
Mastercard Extends Partnership with Esports World Cup 2025
-
Latest News7 days ago
LeoVegas Group Launches Proprietary Sportsbook in Denmark
-
Australia7 days ago
GLI Reaffirms Sponsorship of Gala Dinner at Regulating the Game 2026
-
Central Europe7 days ago
Playzia Partners with Erwin to Accelerate Growth in German iGaming Market