PlayChange for Helping Problem Gamblers

PlayChange: Bavaria’s Online Help for Problem Gambling

PlayChange is an online platform for people with gambling problems. The Bavarian State Office for Gambling Addiction (LSG) runs it. The office built it with the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care. PlayChange launched in July 2020.

Its aim was simple. It let people ask for help from home, quickly and anonymously. Relatives who worried about someone else’s gambling could use it too.

We first covered PlayChange in 2020. This page keeps that story and adds what has happened since.

PlayChange at a Glance

What PlayChange Is

PlayChange is the digital side of the LSG’s work. The LSG offers treatment and advice across Bavaria. PlayChange added an online route for people who did not want to walk into a centre.

Counselling is free. Counsellors come from the specialist gambling addiction centres and the LSG office. A Turkish-language service has also been available. It runs through one staff member from the Turkish hotline.

PlayChange also points users to other help. This includes support for relatives, local counselling and a self-help app called PlayOff.

Registering Anonymously

Addiction is something many people prefer not to talk about. PlayChange allows users to register without giving their name. Registration is brief. Users can sign up with a pseudo email address.

Bavaria hoped this anonymity would encourage more people to contact a counsellor. Many people wait years before they seek help. A private first step can make that easier.

At launch, users could contact a counsellor by email, messenger or chat. They could also arrange telephone appointments. A video consultation module followed in June 2021. It supports shared notes and document exchange.

How the Service Worked Step by Step

The process was designed to be simple. A user did not need to book a visit or explain themselves to a receptionist.

1. The user opened the website or the app.
2. They registered briefly, using a pseudo email address if they wished.
3. They chose how to make contact, such as email, chat or a telephone appointment.
4. A counsellor from a specialist centre replied.
5. The counsellor could then point them to local counselling or other support.

The service did not replace treatment. It worked as a first contact and a bridge to longer-term help. Many people find the first conversation the hardest. PlayChange tried to make that step smaller.

Why Bavaria Built PlayChange

There were two main reasons. First, the coronavirus pandemic limited face-to-face contact. Social distancing made it harder to visit a centre. An online option gave problem gamblers another way to get advice.

Second, the numbers pointed to a real need. Surveys between 2011 and 2017 estimated that about 70,000 people in Bavaria showed signs of problematic gambling habits. About 33,000 showed behaviour consistent with gambling addiction.

The LSG later updated its figures using the six most recent population surveys. It put pathological gambling at about 33,000 people. It put problematic gambling at about 35,000. It also said pathological gamblers carry average debts of about €25,000.

The LSG Behind PlayChange

The LSG was set up in 2008. It offers a range of treatment options for people with a gambling addiction. It also supports their families.

The network includes more than 70 points of contact across Bavaria. That covers 22 specialist centres. The ministry guaranteed €8.7 million in funding for 2020 to 2023.

The LSG works with partner organisations. They include the Bavarian Academy for Addiction and Health Issues, the Bavarian branch of the free welfare associations and the IFT Institute for Therapy Research in Munich.

PlayChange by the Numbers

The LSG publishes yearly online reports. They give a sense of how many people used the service. They also show the limits of the data.

The reports do not include outcome data. They do not show how many people reduced their gambling. The 2025 report also says it has no reliable registration figure for that year.

The 2025 Change: Counselling Moves to DigiSucht

On 13 November 2025, online counselling moved to DigiSucht. The messenger counselling inside the PlayChange app ended. The website, playchange.de, stays online. It shares information and links to counselling on DigiSucht.

For readers, this means one thing. If you search for PlayChange today, expect to be directed elsewhere for the counselling itself. The brand lives on as an information site.

How Germany Regulates Online Gambling

PlayChange launched before Germany’s new gambling rules began. A new State Treaty on Gambling took effect on 1 July 2021. It allowed online slots and online poker in Germany. Before that, sports betting was the only form of online gambling permitted. You can read our summary in German new gambling laws.

Germany’s regulator, the GGL, also works with state support offices. In 2024, its chairman met the head of the Bavarian LSG. The aim was to understand the challenges the state offices face. It also wanted to find ways to work together more closely.

If you want a wider picture, see our pages on gambling laws and global gambling regulations.

Why Services Like This Matter

Problem gambling rarely starts with a big loss. It usually builds slowly. Common warning signs include:

• Spending more money or time on gambling than planned.
• Chasing losses by betting more to win money back.
• Hiding gambling from family and friends.
• Borrowing money to gamble.
• Feeling restless or irritable when not gambling.

Spotting these signs early gives people more options. A free, private service lowers the barrier to asking about them. That is the idea behind PlayChange. It is also why we cover such services on TopbossGroup, even though they sit outside the casino world.

What PlayChange Shows About Support Services

PlayChange is a good example of a state-funded online service. It shows several useful ideas.

• Anonymity helps. Many people only ask for help when they can do so privately.
• Online access widens reach. People can contact a counsellor from home.
• Relatives matter too. Gambling harm often affects families.
• Services change. PlayChange’s own move to DigiSucht shows that platforms evolve.

Any form of addiction harms more than the person who gambles. It affects families too. A state-funded service that offers free, private advice is a welcome addition. People who think they have a problem can speak to trained professionals.

The usage figures are modest. Several hundred registrations a year is a small number next to the tens of thousands of people the LSG believes are affected. Even so, each registration represents one person who reached out. Reach and awareness remain the hardest part of any support service.

PlayChange FAQs

What is PlayChange?

PlayChange is an online counselling platform from the State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria. It launched in July 2020.

Is PlayChange free?

Yes. The LSG describes the consultation as free and anonymous.

Who can use PlayChange?

The service was for people in Bavaria who worry about their gambling. Relatives could use it too.

How much did PlayChange cost to build?

About €36,000. It was built over more than a year, in partnership with the Bavarian health ministry.

Is PlayChange still running?

The website is still online. Online counselling moved to DigiSucht on 13 November 2025. The app’s messenger counselling ended then.

Does PlayChange provide video counselling?

Video consultation was added in June 2021. We could not verify whether video is still offered after the move to DigiSucht.

Could I register without giving my name?

Yes. Registration was brief and users could sign up with a pseudo email address.

Could relatives use PlayChange?

Yes. The service was open to people worried about someone else’s gambling, as well as to gamblers themselves.

Was PlayChange available in other languages?

A Turkish-language option ran through one staff member from the Turkish hotline. We could not verify any other language options.

Who funded PlayChange?

The Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care supports the LSG. It guaranteed €8.7 million for the LSG network for 2020 to 2023.

Is there evidence on how well PlayChange worked?

The annual reports give usage figures only. They contain no outcome data on gambling behaviour.