Operator News
Germany – Amusements sector shows continued interest in the digital DAW certification workshop
By Phil - 16 February 2022
Interest in amusement arcade certification has continued to be high in Germany with more than 40 participants taking part in the digital DAW certification roadshow on February 15 and were informed about the background of arcade certification.
The participants were welcomed by Nico Ernstberger, representative for country communication at the umbrella organization Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft eV (DAW). With a view to the 2021 State Treaty on Gaming, he emphasized that certification has become even more important for politics and administration.
“Certification can be decisive when it comes to the question of the continued existence of arcade locations,” he said. “Only recently, after consultation with the German Accreditation Body, the Ministry of the Interior announced that the accredited companies would start work in the first quarter of 2022. As soon as these accreditations have been issued, the first certifications will also be carried out.”
In his greeting, Gregor Golland MdL, Deputy Chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia: “Playing is part of human nature. It is the task of politicians to shape the framework conditions for gambling appropriately, fairly and transparently. We want to strengthen qualified and certified offers and prevent illegal gaming. This encourages suppliers and buyers to comply with the rules and laws.”
The project management association for the DAW roadshows on the subject of certification is the FORUM der Automatenunternehmer eV FORUM-Managing Director Anja Bischof introduced the topic and moderated the event. She explained that the federal states can obtain multiple concessions with up to three arcades for a limited period if they meet certain qualitative criteria. This also includes certification by an accredited testing organization. It can be assumed that some federal states will use this option. In addition, the federal states could also rely on qualitative criteria for the minimum distances. In any case, the topic of quality is becoming increasingly important for politics, administration and the players, according to Bischof, who also recommended that the participants take a non-binding self-test. Vending machine operators interested in certification can use this to check where they are already well positioned and where there is still room for improvement.
The subsequent discussion with the representatives of the certification bodies, Alexandra Nöthen (TÜV-Rheinland), Bettina Dzieran (MTIC Intercert) and Roland Schäfer, Head of Regularly Tested, dealt with the certification process, the test criteria of the two test organizations and the similarities and differences between the offers Venue, quality management ADMIRAL arcades.
Both experts underlined how complex the requirements for modern arcade operations are and thus also the certification. From compliance with the trade regulations to the posting of game-related information to fire protection, there is a lot to consider. Schäfer, Nöthen and Dzieran therefore also pointed out possible stumbling blocks and gave valuable tips for good preparation for the certification audit. Above all, conscientious documentation is important, they emphasized. The representatives of the testing organizations also pointed out that certification is also possible during the Corona-related closures of arcades.
As a certification ambassador, machine operator Wolfgang Pütz, Automaten Pütz OHG from North Rhine-Westphalia, reported in an interview with the FORUM-CEO about his experience in arcade certification. Pütz emphasized the positive feedback from the employees. “The certification is important to the team because they work in a well-managed company where everything is structured and transparent. Working in a certified arcade fills them with pride and is simply motivating.” According to Pütz, the certification was also a good check for him as an entrepreneur. “As an entrepreneur, I was able to check processes again – what works well – what doesn’t? Through the certification process, I was able to identify potential for improvement and improve processes. The certification was also worthwhile for this.
