.jpg)
Germany's national gambling-prevention and support infrastructure is anchored by an agency most people still know as the BZgA — but there's an important, easy-to-miss update worth leading with: this work is now carried out under a newer organizational name, and knowing that matters if you're trying to find the right current contact.
1. Important Update: BZgA → BIÖG
The Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) has operated as Germany's federal health-education authority since 1967, helping people stay healthy and avoid health risks. Its gambling-prevention and counseling functions have since transitioned into the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit (BIÖG) — the Federal Institute for Public Health — which now operates within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, BMG). In practical terms: the phone line, website, and services described throughout this guide (still frequently labeled "BZgA" across older signage, brochures, and even some current partner websites) are now run under the BIÖG. Both names circulate in current material, so don't be confused if you see either — they refer to the same national body and the same services.
2. The Central Hotline: Free, Anonymous, Nationwide
Phone number: 0800 137 27 00
Cost: Completely free of charge
Anonymity: You are not required to identify yourself
Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10:00–22:00; Friday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00
Who it's for: Anyone affected directly or indirectly by gambling problems — players themselves, as well as family members, partners, or friends of someone affected
What counselors do: Staff are specifically trained in phone counseling for gambling issues. They can talk through your situation for as long as needed — a single call is often enough to clarify next steps — and, if useful, help you locate the nearest local counseling center rather than leaving you to search alone.
Call as often as you need to: There's no limit on how many times you can call to work through the same or a new concern.
Foreign-language support: A separate foreign-language phone counseling service is also available, listed on the check-dein-spiel.de site, for people who prefer not to navigate this in German.
A practical privacy note sometimes raised by callers: if you have an itemized phone bill, the counseling line's number would appear on it (including if you use redial), so plan around that if discretion from someone else viewing your bill matters to you.
3. The Web Portal: check-dein-spiel.de
This is the main online hub, and it's built around several distinct tools rather than being just an information page:
Self-test (Schnelltest)
A short assessment — as few as three questions — designed to give a first-pass indication of whether your gambling behavior may already be problematic. It's explicitly framed as an initial orientation tool, not a diagnosis.
"Check dein Spiel" and "Check out" programs
Beyond the self-test, the portal hosts a structured behavior-change program (referred to as "Check out") aimed specifically at helping people work through problematic gambling patterns — a step up from a one-off quiz toward an actual guided process.
Broader risk education (including newer topics)
The portal doesn't only cover traditional gambling — it has expanded to address adjacent risk behaviors that share psychological similarities, notably day-trading (frequent same-day buying/selling of stocks, cryptocurrency, or other financial instruments in pursuit of quick gains). The portal draws an explicit parallel: the emotional patterns around chasing losses, seeking control after a bad outcome, or over-analyzing "what went wrong" can closely mirror those seen in problem gambling, even though the activity itself is framed differently.
Access
Everything on the portal is designed to be used online, free of charge, and anonymously — no requirement to register with identifying information just to use the self-test or read the material.
4. How Common Is This Problem? (The Actual Numbers)
According to research cited via the ISD Hamburg (Institut für interdisziplinäre Sucht- und Drogenforschung), roughly 5.7% of people in Germany show signs of risky gambling behavior, and about 2.3% meet the criteria for a diagnosable gambling disorder. Both figures are reported as affecting men more than women. These numbers are useful context: this isn't a fringe issue affecting a tiny sliver of the population — it's a public-health-scale concern, which is exactly why a national, tax-funded prevention infrastructure exists around it in the first place.
5. Beyond the Hotline: Local and Specialized Support
The BIÖG/BZgA hotline is the front door, but Germany also has a dense network of local and regional resources it can route you to:
Landeskoordinierungsstellen Glücksspielsucht — state-level coordination offices for gambling addiction support, reachable via www.bundesweit-gegen-gluecksspielsucht.de, offering free, anonymous help for those affected, their families, and anyone simply seeking information.
Local addiction counseling centers (Suchtberatungsstellen) — available in most cities, offering in-person counseling and able to help arrange outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation treatment if needed.
Specialized clinical services — as one regional example, Berlin alone has multiple dedicated services: a specific gambling-addiction counseling center (Café Beispiellos, run by Caritasverband für Berlin), a hospital-based gambling addiction working group at Charité's psychiatry department, and a general addiction-prevention referral service (Fachstelle für Suchtprävention Berlin) that connects people to counseling centers and self-help groups. Similar region-specific services exist across other states — the national hotline can direct you to your local equivalent.
Self-help groups — an option alongside or instead of formal clinical treatment, for people who find peer-support formats more accessible.
6. Formal Treatment: What Actually Happens Clinically
Diagnosis requires a medical or psychiatric professional. Gambling disorder isn't something a self-test or hotline call diagnoses — it's a clinical diagnosis made by a doctor or specialist.
Rehabilitation (Reha) is a recognized treatment path, and its cost is frequently covered by health insurance (Krankenkasse) or pension insurance (Rentenversicherung), depending on individual circumstances.
Inpatient treatment typically runs 8–12 weeks, and many specialist clinics build in seminars and structured group discussion as part of the program, not just individual therapy sessions.
Outpatient counseling is also widely available as a lower-intensity alternative or a first step before considering inpatient care.
7. The "Emergency Button" (Notfallbutton) Concept
Separate from the hotline and web portal, some player-protection materials reference an "emergency button" concept: a short-term self-exclusion mechanism designed to provide fast, immediate help — allowing someone to interrupt their own access quickly during a moment of acute risk, rather than only through the standard OASIS self-exclusion application process (which, as a separate system, generally has longer minimum durations — see the OASIS/Sperrdatei guide for that process specifically).
8. How This Fits Into Germany's Broader Player-Protection System
It's worth situating the BIÖG/BZgA resources relative to the other pieces of the German gambling-regulation picture:
The GGL (national gambling regulator) licenses operators and maintains a page pointing to these prevention and counseling institutions as part of its official player-protection information.
The OASIS Sperrdatei is the legal, cross-operator self-exclusion database — a different tool from BIÖG's counseling and self-test resources, though the two are complementary: OASIS blocks access, while BIÖG/check-dein-spiel.de and the hotline offer the human support and self-assessment side.
Licensed operators are legally required to reference check-dein-spiel.de as part of their responsible-gambling obligations, so you'll typically see it linked from any properly licensed gambling site's footer or responsible-gambling page.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Is BZgA still the right name to search for, or should I look for BIÖG instead? Both will get you to the same place currently. The counseling functions have moved organizationally from the BZgA to the BIÖG (under the Federal Ministry of Health), but a lot of existing material — brochures, partner websites, even some current signage — still says "BZgA." If you're searching and one name doesn't turn up what you expect, try the other.
Does calling the hotline cost anything or require me to give my name? No — it's free, and you can remain anonymous. You're not required to identify yourself to get help or information.
What are the hotline's hours exactly? Monday–Thursday 10:00–22:00, and Friday–Sunday 10:00–18:00.
I don't think I have a problem myself, but I'm worried about a family member — can I still call? Yes. The hotline explicitly serves people affected indirectly — partners, relatives, and friends — not only the person gambling. Counselors can also help you find local support tailored to family members specifically.
Is the online self-test a diagnosis? No. It's described as a first-pass orientation tool to help you get an initial sense of whether your behavior may be problematic — an actual gambling disorder diagnosis requires assessment by a doctor or psychiatric professional.
Does check-dein-spiel.de only cover traditional gambling like slots and sports betting? No — it has expanded to cover related risk behaviors, notably day-trading in stocks, cryptocurrency, and other financial instruments, on the basis that the psychological patterns involved (chasing losses, seeking control after a bad outcome) can closely resemble those seen in gambling.
Will using these resources affect my ability to use licensed gambling sites, or get reported anywhere? Using the hotline or the check-dein-spiel.de self-test/counseling tools is separate from OASIS (the legal self-exclusion database) — seeking information or counseling through BIÖG/BZgA does not, by itself, place you on the OASIS block list. Actual self-exclusion (if you choose to pursue it) goes through the OASIS process specifically.
Who actually pays for treatment if I need inpatient rehab? Costs are frequently covered by statutory health insurance or pension insurance, depending on individual circumstances — a counselor at the hotline or a local Suchtberatungsstelle can help clarify what applies to your specific situation.
How common is problematic gambling in Germany, really? Cited research (via ISD Hamburg) puts risky gambling behavior at around 5.7% of the population and diagnosable gambling disorder at around 2.3%, with both being more prevalent among men — figures that put this squarely in public-health territory rather than a niche concern.
If any part of this guide feels like it's describing your own situation, or someone you care about, reaching out is worth doing sooner rather than later — the hotline (0800 137 27 00) is free, anonymous, and available specifically to help you figure out the right next step, whether that's a quick conversation, a local counseling referral, or something more.
