Gauselmann Group granted slot machine approval in Germany

The Gauselmann Group, a company that develops and publishes games as well as slot machines, has been approved to offer slot machine gaming in the region of Germany. This approval comes more than a year after the group applied for a license with the Saxony-Anhalt State Administration Office. These games will now be available to users and players under the brand of Merkur Spiel.

This is a big win for the company in the context of Germany’s stringent gaming regulations. ?Ays Be/Unsplash

This is a landmark moment for the company considering Germany’s strict regulations. The Gauselmann Group is one of the few brands operating in Germany to have already established a connection with the cross-state gaming supervision process called LUGAS. The spokesperson for the Merkur Sportwetten GmbH Markus Ettlin reflected on the approval.

“We have been waiting in the wings for some time with our range of virtual slot machine games under the ‘Merkur Spiel’ brand. So we are all the more enthusiastic that we can now offer our online players the chance to enjoy the same Merkur classics that have been played millions of times at our brick-and-mortar venues. This approval is an important and big step for us towards becoming the best omni-channel provider in the whole of Europe. The Eastern Westphalians are thus demonstrating once again the high priority given to player protection within the Gauselmann Group – in both the land-based and online segments.”

Under the new treaty of the German region, the Gauselmann Group is now fully compliant with the requirements, both statutory and regulatory, with respect to the operation of slot games of a virtual nature. Online casinos and slot games have exploded in recent years, with ubiquitous access and ease of play. This will continue to be the trend going forward in the next few years.

Germany’s market situation

In order for companies to capitalize on this trend, it is imperative to apply and receive licenses from the jurisdictions in which they operate. This license will be crucial for the company to continue to dominate the space, across gaming and sports betting. Not too long ago, Kindred exited the region, taking with it their high-profile brand Unibet, after the new regulatory requirements proved far too cumbersome and untenable for the company.

For some context, there are over 750 companies currently in Germany that either develop or publish video games or computer games, which is a rise from 2021, according to data from the German Games Industry Association. Felik Falk, managing director of GAME, said that the video game industry is only getting started.

“Computer and video games represent an unprecedented success story. Once dismissed as a childish waste of time, they have become an important cultural asset, a driver to the economy and to innovation. Angela Merkel’s opening of gamescom last year once again underscored this development very impressively. Currently, about every second person in Germany is a gamer. And anyone who thinks that gaming is only for the younger generation is mistaken. After all, the fastest growing target group is currently the over-50s. This means that computer and video games are part of everyday media life for millions of Germans. At the same time, games and their technologies offer huge potential in sectors such as education, medicine, logistics or mechanical and plant engineering.”

What is the Gauselmann Group?

The Gauselmann Group’s history dates back more than half a century, all the way back to 1957 when it was established. It has grown now to close to 15,000 employees. According to the figures on their official website, the annual sales revenue in 2021 for the company was 2.56 billion euros. This group has its headquarters in Espelkamp, which is a small town in the Minden-Lübbecke district in Germany. The population of this town was a little over 25,000 in 2010.

The Gauselmann Group has its roots in gaming and sports betting. It also owns and operates casinos in Germany, including some on cruise ships. The Merkur Sportwetten GmbH is a subsidiary of the parent group. It operates sports betting businesses across the world and also creates virtual slot games under the brand of Merkur Spiel.

The Gauselmann Management

According to the company’s website, Paul Gauselman is currently the chairman of the board, while Armin Gauselman is the vice chair. Manfred Stoffers is in charge of marketing, communication and politics of the management group. Paul Gauselmann founded the international group back in 1957.

Back in April of 2019, the German company appointed Markus Ettlin as the new MD and chairman of a brand responsible for gaming and sports betting under the Gauslemann banner: Merkur Sportwetten. Paul Gauselmann had said that this appointment would significantly help the games business.

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