The Gauselmann Group demonstrates its outstanding expertise in the successful operation of casinos at more than 28 casino locations in Germany and abroad as well as in casinos on cruise ships. The expertise in operating casinos was one of the most important prerequisites for participating in the award procedure that was initiated in 2020 in order to take over the WestSpiel Group with its four casinos in Aachen, Bad Oeynhausen, Dortmund-Hohensyburg and Duisburg, as well as the option of two more casinos to open in NRW. As an applicant with the most attractive offer and proof of sustainable economic performance as well as financial stability and quality, the Gauselmann Group was awarded the contract, which was sealed with the notarial purchase agreement on July 20, 2021.

“We are very pleased about this new, significant milestone in our more than 60-year company history. It makes me personally very proud to be able to show here in North Rhine-Westphalia, my home state, that we have mastered the 'high school' of the game with and for money. Our concept has already proven to be extremely successful in other federal states and I am sure that we will also convince in North Rhine-Westphalia with it. As a traditional company in the most populous federal state with 18 million inhabitants, WestSpiel offers the best conditions for this ”, says company founder and board spokesman Paul Gauselmann.

The MERKUR concept for success is based on four cornerstones: the best technologies, the best games, the best atmosphere and the best trained employees. "We are now in the starting blocks, together with our colleagues from the WestSpiel Group, not only to continue the success story of the casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also to advance it in line with the times," emphasizes David Schnabel, Managing Director of MERKUR Spielbanken.

"The Gauselmann Group is valued throughout the gaming industry for its pioneering innovations," reports David Schnabel. “We have introduced numerous optimizations in the last few years, particularly in the area of ​​casinos, and have thus established new processes and procedures in many areas that enable us to focus more strongly on our service concepts. Here we were able to fall back on the decades of experience of the Gauselmann Group as the operator of around 800 venues across Europe. No other company in the industry in Germany has such expertise. "

The wide range of further training opportunities within the Gauselmann Group primarily served the needs-based qualification of junior employees, but at the same time lead to long-term employee loyalty and a high level of satisfaction among employees. David Schnabel is already certain that the new colleagues at the WestSpiel Group will also be impressed by the wide range of offers from their new private employer. “We act according to the principle of 'Never change a winning team', which means that we will continue to build on the specialist experience and commitment of the entire WestSpiel team. Without the new colleagues, we would not be able to operate the existing and the two newly planned locations, ”explains David Schnabel.

As a manufacturer and exemplary operator of arcades, the Gauselmann Group is committed to consumer protection and the responsible handling of possible gaming risks in every respect, which Merkur Spielbanken Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH & Co.KG with its three MERKUR casinos particularly demonstrates. In 2015, they were the first casino company in Europe to be certified by the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4) for their responsible gaming measures. In 2019, the European Casino Association (ECA) also recognized the extensive player protection measures and awarded Merkur Spielbanken Sachsen-Anhalt the corresponding award for responsible gaming. This officially recognized that

The takeover by the Gauselmann Group will give the casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia a clear impetus for a successful future. The know-how that has been accumulated over the last few decades in both the Gauselmann Group and WestSpiel will lay the foundation for a successful repositioning of the casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia. Both the guests and the employees can look forward to this exciting realignment of the casinos. “Our entry into the casino sector in Saxony-Anhalt in 2013 was anything but easy,” recalls Paul Gauselmann. “But we have created new standards in the German casino sector from what we found and what we have to offer with our more than 60 years of industry experience. Under the better conditions that WestSpiel offers, We are striving for this success also for our new MERKUR casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia. And I am sure: we will be successful! "