List of games prohibited in Austria-Hungary


In 1904, the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Justice published the following list of games prohibited in Austria-Hungary. It was expanded by the state of Austria in 1933, was exemplary in Austria for many years and now represents a culturally and historically interesting list of the sort of gambling that was popular at that time.
It is particularly noteworthy that there are also some bowling and billiard games on this list, which today are regarded more as games of skill.

List of prohibited games (1904)

On 30 June 1904 a law was passed by the Ministry of Justice of the Empire of Austria-Hungary which designated the following games as "prohibited games":
  1. Pharao
  2. Paschen
  3. Einundzwanzig and the similar Halbzwölf
  4. Zwicken and its variant, Kleinpréférence
  5. Angehen
  6. Bakkarat
  7. Tartel with open Terzen
  8. Kartentombola
  9. Stoß
  10. Poker
  11. Färbeln
  12. Roulette and the similar Wettrennspiel
  13. Booky or Sixer Domino
  14. Polnische Bank
  15. Farbenbank
  16. Stoßpudelspiel
  17. Lampeln
  18. Die heilige Wahrheit or Herzaß
  19. Bauernschreck or "The Red One Wins"
  20. the skittles game of Halbzwölf
  21. the skittles game of Schanzeln
The following were also classed as prohibited games:
Chemin de fer, Rouge et noir, Trente et quarante, Trente et un, Vingt et un, Feuer, Belle (with boards and numbers), Billardquartscheiben, Biribi or Cavagnole, Elf hoch, Esperanz, Fräulein Tini, Häufeln, Grad – Ungrad, Kreiselspiel or Diplomat.

List of prohibited games (1933)

On 2 January 1933, Austria confirmed and extended the list of banned games as follows:
  1. Pharao
  2. Dice games
  3. Einundzwanzig and the similar Halbzwölf
  4. Zwicken and its variant, Kleinpreference
  5. Angehen
  6. Bakkarat
  7. Tartl with open Terzen
  8. Kartentombola and its variant "Gottes Segen bei Kohn"
  9. Stoß
  10. Poker
  11. Färbeln
  12. Roulette and all roulette-like games, especially Pferdchen – or Wettrennspiel, Dreikugelspiel, Deltaspiel, Uranusspiel, Troulaspiel, Kartenroulette, Astroulette, Germaniaspiel, Spiralospiel, Habilisspiel, Beobaspiel, Pedegespiel, Hansaspiel, Atlantikspiel, Roulyspiel, Visiblaspiel, Bäderspiel, Ballaspiel and Laboulespiel
  13. Booky or Sixer Domino
  14. Polnische Bank
  15. Farbenbank
  16. Stoßpudelspiel
  17. Lampeln
  18. Die heilige Wahrheit or Herzas
  19. "The Red One Wins", also called Kümmelblättchen
  20. Jouettespiel
  21. Glücksrad
  22. Balanceleiterspiel
  23. ''Games with gaming machines, unless they have a certificate issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance that the activity constitutes a game of skill.''