gambling arcade / arcade
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gambling arcade
A commercial establishment where people can play slot machines or other gambling machines. Often also referred to as a Spielothek or casino.
Er hat sein ganzes Geld in der Spielhalle am Bahnhof verspielt.
He gambled away all his money in the gambling arcade at the train station.
arcade
A room or hall, often for young people, with entertainment machines such as video games, pinball machines, or air hockey, where people can play without gambling or by inserting coins. This meaning is rarer today and is often replaced by the English term 'arcade'.
In den 80er Jahren trafen wir uns nach der Schule immer in der Spielhalle, um Pac-Man zu spielen.
In the 80s, we always met at the arcade after school to play Pac-Man.
The word is made up of 'Spiel' (game/play) and 'Halle' (hall). So it literally describes a hall where you can play games.
Die neue Spielhalle in der Innenstadt ist sehr modern.
The new gambling arcade in the city center is very modern.
Pay attention to the preposition 'in' and the corresponding case. Movement toward the place is expressed with the accusative ('in die Spielhalle' — into/to the gambling arcade), while being at the place requires the dative ('in der Spielhalle' — in the gambling arcade).
Er geht jeden Freitagabend in die Spielhalle.
He goes to the gambling arcade every Friday evening.
When the context is gambling, you can recognize this meaning from words such as 'Geldspielautomaten' (gambling machines), 'Einsatz' (stake), 'Gewinn' (winnings), or 'Geld verspielen' (to gamble away money). This meaning is the most common today.
Der Zutritt zu Spielhallen mit Geldspielautomaten ist erst ab 18 Jahren erlaubt.
Admission to gambling arcades with gambling machines is only allowed from age 18.
You can recognize the older meaning of a hall with video games from the context. Signal words here are 'Jugendliche' (young people), 'Videospiele' (video games), 'Flipper' (pinball), or references to past times such as 'in den 90er Jahren' (in the 90s).
Als Teenager habe ich mein ganzes Taschengeld in die Spielhalle getragen, um dort Videospiele zu spielen.
As a teenager, I spent all my pocket money at the arcade to play video games there.
casino
Both words can refer to a place where people gamble for money. Casino sounds more like a Spielbank (casino) and can be associated with table games, while Spielhalle specifically means a commercial establishment with gambling machines. Choose Spielhalle when slot machines are the focus, and Casino when the casino itself is the focus.
In der Spielhalle spielte das Paar am Abend an Geldspielautomaten.
That evening, the couple played the slot machines at the gambling arcade.
Im Casino spielte das Paar am Abend Roulette um Geld.
That evening, the couple played roulette for money at the casino.
