"At ICE 2019, Merkur will have its biggest trade show presence to date"

Could you provide some insight into the products you are planning to debut at ICE Totally Gaming 2019?

To start at the beginning: The Merkur Gaming booth, the biggest ever presence that we have had at any trade show and the largest in the North halls at ICE, will be spectacular. We will have more than 140 games for show visitors to see and try for themselves and we will be presenting a package of new games that we are sure will bring a lot of interest.

Then we are making the debut of a new multiplayer solution and, of course, we have our various Group companies dealing with cash handling (GeWeTe), online gaming (Edict) and sports betting (Cashpoint/XTip). As always, ICE will be exciting and, for its three days, the focus of the entire global gaming community.

Has the Avantgarde Trio performed as expected by the firm? What other novelties can we expect in terms of product development from Merkur in 2019?

Right from its market release, the Avantgarde Trio has been a huge success for Merkur Gaming. This stylish cabinet has met, and indeed, surpassed our expectations and has become an international ‘must have’ product for gaming floors. This is particularly true for our international activities in Europe and beyond, plus subsidiary companies in Latin America, where Avantgarde is, at present, our undisputed top seller. In terms of future development we have the new Allegro Curve cabinet. That product is the first result of what will become a whole new range of cabinet innovations that will be coming through over the next months.

What changes has Europe gone through after PASPA was ruled out, in your experience? Which European region offers the highest potential in this new scenario?

Sports betting is the international gaming industry’s new ‘buzz’ sector. One recent report from the US said that sports betting would develop strongly be a $2.5 to $5.0 billion revenue generator over the course of the next five years. So it is obvious that top tier manufacturers have, in recent years, diversified their portfolios into new directions. Land-based gaming will remain strong and is now widely influencing online gaming … and now, sports betting. The Gauselmann Group, of which Merkur Gaming is a key element, has invested strongly in online gaming solutions and content provision (through our subsidiary company edict e-gaming) and we also have a highly skilled sports betting company, Cashpoint, that is making great strides in their sector. Sports betting is strong (and growing rapidly) all across Europe and further afield. It is a trend that will certainly continue in the near future.

How is Merkur ‘going that extra mile’ to outperform competition in 2019?

Merkur Gaming’s long history has always been, and remains, dictated by a set of core values. The phrase ‘Innovation is our Tradition’ sets the tone for everything that we do. Our focus on games and the creation of new ideas is applied to our highest level ‘made in Germany’ manufacturing process and our commitment to providing sales support and after sales service of the highest level. We can sum all those elements up into one phrase by noting that Merkur Gaming is all about 3Ps: Product People and Places.