Lucky Oak

What is Lucky Oak?

This year sees the return of the majority of our judging panel for either the first, second or third consecutive year! Their confidence in the campaign, and how it’s run is a real testament to Most Influential Women, and how highly it is regarded across the sector, particularly as these types of lists and rankings gain popularity across industry media.

As of today, submissions for the 2026 iGB’s Most Influential Women list are open! We are once again looking for nominations that highlight all facets of the sector, and the women who are championing change and acting as leading forces within their company, or the sector more broadly.

Please provide as much detail and insight as possible on the person/s you are nominating. The more information and background we receive, the clearer the picture of their career and achievements can be.

About Lucky Oak

Andreas Braun, owner of four arcades in Wiesbaden, filed an objection and constitutional complaint against the tax rate in April last year according to local reporting. He argued that the tax rise had provided a ‘strangling’ effect to business and that it consumed operator profits.

According to a high court ruling from over a decade ago, the tax rise cannot be allowed to rise to the point of ‘consuming livelihoods’. 

“If the tax burden alone makes it impossible to establish the occupation of slot machine operators as the economic basis of one’s livelihood within the municipality,” the ruling said. 

What is Lucky Oak?

The CGMC reviewed a draft of the new evaluation framework during a meeting chaired by Secretary General Yeth Vinel on 4 September. 

The proposed “integrity and quality” framework aims to establish minimum conditions that operators must meet to maintain or obtain a licence, signalling a strengthening of oversight in the sector. The details of the scoring criteria and an official implementation date remain unpublished.

The timing of regulatory tightening coincides with a vigorous government campaign against scams and illicit financial activities linked to casinos.