Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern

What Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern does

Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern (LSG Bayern) is a charitable non-profit coordination body founded in 2008 and headquartered in Munich that serves as the central statewide interface for gambling-addiction prevention, counseling, research, and operator-compliance support in Bavaria. It is operated as a Kooperationsgemeinschaft (cooperation community) jointly by three institutional partners — Bayerische Akademie für Sucht- und Gesundheitsfragen BAS gGmbH, IFT Institut für Therapieforschung gGmbH, and Betreiberverein der Freien WohlfahrtspfLAG Bayern e.V. — and is fully funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Health, Care and Prevention while retaining operational and professional independence. Service delivery runs through a network of 22 regional Fachstellen and 76 competence-network positions, supplemented by an annual Bavarian Specialist Congress and digital channels.

The organization's product surface spans counseling, self-help, diagnostics, professional training, and prevention content. Core digital products are PlayChange (an online counseling platform offering text, video, and web-telephony counseling, redesigned in June 2026 and integrated into the nationwide DigiSucht platform in November 2025) and PlayOff (a self-help app with 16,000+ downloads). Additional tools include a Selbsttest self-assessment, a Klinikexplorer inpatient-treatment finder, a Streetwork.Gambling outreach service, a professional Lernplattform (learning platform), an internal LSG Forum (~128 members, ~2,080 posts), a prevention materials web shop, and the children's book and GamblerKid sub-brand. Marketing and awareness reach extends through Instagram (including the Zockerheld account), YouTube (5.27 million video views), Facebook, newsletters, press releases, and university/community outreach.

All services to citizens are free, confidential, and anonymous; LSG Bayern has no disclosed revenue, no disclosed pricing, and operates as a fully state-funded entity. Its go-to-market is community-led: reaching affected individuals and professionals through specialist centers, online platforms, training programs (Basisschulung, Aufbauschulung), the annual congress, and social media. Customer segments are two primary personas — individuals affected by gambling problems (and their relatives) and professionals in addiction help and prevention — plus a tertiary use-case segment of gambling operators and regulators using LSG Bayern's §6 GlüStV social-concept compliance resources. The organization explicitly does not develop proprietary technology and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern

Legal name

Betreiberverein der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Bayern für die Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern e.V.

Website

https://lsgbayern.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern is the state-funded, non-profit coordination body for gambling-addiction prevention, counseling, research, and operator-compliance support in Bavaria. It serves affected individuals, addiction professionals, and regulators through 22 specialist centers, digital platforms PlayChange and PlayOff, training, and an annual congress.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Addiction Counseling

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Dispute Resolution, Player Complaints & ADR/Ombudsman Services (MPAEAOAL)

Keywords

• Gambling addiction counseling
• Addiction prevention services
• Online counseling platform
• Self-help app
• Professional training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding (Bavarian State Ministry): LSG Bayern is entirely funded by the Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention (Bavarian State Ministry for Health, Care and Prevention). As a public non-profit coordination body, all services to citizens are free of charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LSG Bayern is the state-mandated, state-funded coordination body for gambling addiction in Bavaria, delivering free, confidential prevention, counseling, research, and professional training services. It operates a network of 22 specialist counseling centers across Bavaria, an online counseling platform (PlayChange), a self-help mobile app (PlayOff), prevention campaigns, and professional development programs, while serving as the central interface between affected individuals, professionals, and government authorities.

Product overview

The Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern (LSG) operates as a multi-platform prevention and counseling ecosystem rather than a single product. The core offerings include PlayChange (online counseling platform), PlayOff (self-help mobile app), and various diagnostic tools like Selbsttest and Klinikexplorer. These are complemented by professional resources including a Learning Platform (Lernplattform), Forum for specialists, and prevention materials. The organization also runs the Voller Einsatz prevention campaign and Children's Book project. PlayChange was recently redesigned and integrated into the nationwide DigiSucht platform (November 2025). The 22 specialized gambling addiction centers and 76 positions in the competence network form the service delivery infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlayChange: Online counseling platform for gambling addiction support, offering free, professional, and anonymous assistance
• PlayOff
• Voller Einsatz
• GamblerKid

Products and services

• PlayChange Online-Beratung Free, anonymous, data-protection-compliant online counseling platform for people with gambling problems, offering text chat, video calls, and web-telephony sessions with addiction counseling professionals; integrated into the nationwide DigiSucht platform.
• PlayOff Selbsthilfe-App Self-help mobile app for individuals with gambling problems, offering tools for self-management and recovery support, with over 16,000 downloads.
• Fachstellen Glücksspielsucht (22 Specialist Centers) Network of 22 specialist counseling centers for gambling addiction across Bavaria providing in-person counseling, advice, and support for individuals affected by gambling problems and their relatives.
• Selbsttest (Self-Test) Self-assessment tool available in standard version and easy language (Leichte Sprache) for individuals to evaluate their gambling behavior and potential addiction issues.
• Klinikexplorer Interactive tool for finding and exploring inpatient treatment clinics specializing in gambling addiction therapy across Germany.
• Streetwork.Gambling Outreach service providing gambling addiction prevention and support directly in the field, targeting people in their natural environments across Bavaria.
• Lernplattform (Learning Platform) Online learning platform for addiction counseling professionals offering training materials and courses on gambling addiction counseling and prevention, including Basisschulung and Aufbauschulung.
• Voller Einsatz Prevention Campaign Prevention campaign titled 'Voller Einsatz – Damit Sport nicht zum Glücksspiel wird!' (Full Commitment – So that sport doesn't become gambling!) focusing on preventing sports betting among young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 specialist centers for gambling addiction across Bavaria
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DigiSucht (Bundesweite Plattform)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2025Since November 2025, PlayChange online counseling has been integrated into the nationwide DigiSucht platform. PlayChange operates as its own digital counseling center within the DigiSucht ecosystem.
• Bayerische Akademie für Sucht- und Gesundheitsfragen BAS gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAS (Bavarian Academy for Addiction and Health Issues) is one of three organizations that form the LSG Bayern cooperation community. BAS contributes publications, literature reviews, and expertise in addiction and health issues. LSG Bayern is not affiliated with a traditional 'partner_type_other' category.
• IFT Institut für Therapieforschung gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFT (Institute for Therapy Research) is one of three organizations that form the LSG Bayern cooperation community. IFT contributes research, monitoring, and therapeutic expertise to the LSG network.
• Betreiberverein der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Bayern für die Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Betreiberverein (Operators' Association) of the Free Welfare Association, State Working Group Bavaria, is one of the three organizations forming the LSG Bayern cooperation community. It represents welfare organizations providing practical addiction help services.
• Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und PräventioncoreOthersThe Bavarian State Ministry for Health, Care and Prevention is the sole funder of LSG Bayern. The organization is financed by the ministry, is not bound by directives (nicht weisungsgebunden), and operates with professional independence (fachlich unabhängig).
• Aktion Jugendschutz BayernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAktion Jugendschutz (Youth Protection Action) Bayern is a partner in the LSG Bayern network, contributing to prevention efforts especially targeting young people, including school-based and university outreach.
• Bundesweit gegen GlücksspielsuchtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide coordination platform for gambling addiction. LSG Bayern links to the nationwide search and Anlaufstellen (access points) available through this platform.
• BZgA (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung)minorOthersLSG Bayern directs individuals in need of urgent phone counseling to the free, anonymous BZgA hotline (0800 137 27 00) for those who urgently need telephone counseling.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Suchtkooperation NRW: Addiction cooperation network for North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German state. Comparable as another state-level coordination model for addiction prevention, counseling, and professional training — illustrating how Germany's federal structure produces LSG-like entities in each Land.
• Hessische Landesstelle für Suchtfragen (HLS): State-level addiction coordination body for Hesse. Directly analogous to LSG Bayern in structure — a state-funded hub coordinating Fachstellen, prevention, and counseling — making it the closest geographic peer operating in a different Bundesland.
• Aktion Jugendschutz Bayern: Bavarian youth protection organization that is a partner in LSG's network. Comparable because it focuses on youth-targeted prevention in Bavaria, including gambling and digital media, with overlapping outreach and campaign work for young people.

Others

• GamCare (UK): UK national gambling-harm support organization offering helpline, counseling, and treatment. Comparable as an international counterpart providing free, confidential gambling-addiction services supported by both state and regulated-industry funding.
• National Council on Problem Gambling (US): US national advocacy and referral body for problem gambling. Comparable as an international peer working on prevention, helpline operations, research, and policy advocacy across a federal jurisdiction with state-level service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS): National umbrella organization for addiction support in Germany. Comparable as a higher-level coordination body across all addiction categories, including gambling, providing advocacy, materials, and standards that complement LSG Bayern's state-level work.
• Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA): Federal center for health education that runs the nationwide gambling-addiction hotline and information campaigns. Comparable because it provides overlapping gambling-addiction prevention and counseling services at a federal level, and is a referral partner to which LSG directs urgent cases.

Direct peers

• Bundesweit gegen Glücksspielsucht: National coordination platform for gambling addiction support in Germany. Directly comparable because it operates the nationwide search and Anlaufstellen directory that LSG Bayern integrates into, addressing the same population of affected individuals and professionals at a national level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LSGinBayern
• Facebookfacebook.com/LSGBayern
• Instagraminstagram.com/lsgbayern

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Landesstelle Glücksspielsucht in Bayern