Re: Casinos in Germany
There are indeed casinos ("Spielsbanks" I think they are called) in Germany. The ones I saw are very small - only a table or two of BJ. Last time I was there (last spring) they played standard European rules - 6 decks, ENHO, DAS, etc. I can't remember if it was s17 or h17, but I remember it was pretty much the same rules as I have seen elsewhere on the continent.
All of the casinos I saw (saw a few, but only went into 1, and not for very long since that wasn't the sightseeing I was in Europe for) required you to show your passport to enter. That's also very standard in Europe. Not a very comfortable feeling, but I didn't feel any heat about counting (could be because I didn't stay for long, though.) There is also a casino in Frankfurt airport.
Good luck. My advice is that there is a lot to see, so don't spend too much time inside a casino!