The city of Bremen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany recently changed the law regarding casino ownership. Now the local government can take over ownership of the two casinos in Bremen and Bremerhaven, currently owned by the state-run operator Westspiel, which has put the venues up for private sale. The city of Bremen wants to prevent privatizing the casinos and instead wants them to be operated by the government-owned Bremen Toto und Lotto GmbH.
Finance Senator Dietmar Strehl said the move is necessary to protect minors and combat gambling addiction. Vice Chairman of the Freedom Democratic Party Hauke Hilz said the state should not be buying casinos, and the purchase would be a risk for taxpayers.
Bremen received $5.9 million in casino tax revenue in 2019. Currently about 100 employees work at the casinos in Bremen and Bremerhaven.
