Industry News
Gauselmann Group is Back on Course for Success, Sales Development Returns to Pre-Covid Levels
The Gauselmann Group is leaving the pandemic behind and picking up economically from the successful pre-COVID period: at the end of the first six months of the year, it is already becoming apparent that the family-run corporate group will achieve similarly high sales revenues in 2022 as in the 2019 financial year. Sales revenues in the first half-year of 2019 were at around 1.740 billion euros. The first six months of 2022 closed with sales revenues at 1.746 billion euros. Overall, the cumulative sales revenues of all group entities in 2019 was approximately 3.4 billion euros.
“It is great news that the pandemic has bottomed out and we are finally back in charted territory again. This success is primarily the fruit of our good ideas and the dedication of each and every one of our employees and once again goes to show what you can achieve with hard work and team spirit,” Founder and Management Board Chairman Paul Gauselmann said.
The past two coronavirus years had cost the company some two billion euros in lost sales revenues. During the lockdowns, all gaming arcades, casinos, sports betting shops and shipboard casinos across Europe – as many as 1000 outlets altogether – had had to close for around nine months. Operating costs, however, remained largely unchanged.
The good development is also attributable to the group’s increasing diversification. The Gauselmann Group is positioning itself on an ever-broader base – and in doing so is reducing its dependence on individual markets and business models. This is also reflected in the current sales performance. A return to pre-COVID levels was only possible because with the development and expansion of international business operations and casinos, the company has tapped into two business areas that compensate for the increasingly difficult situation on the German home market. The most important markets in other European countries are currently the UK and Spain.
“From an entrepreneurial point of view, it was hugely important to drive forward our international business activities,” Paul Gauselmann explains. In the meantime, an ever-larger share of sales revenues – around 60% – is generated abroad.
In addition to internationalisation, casinos are another major factor in sales success. As well as the casinos in Saxony-Anhalt and the investments in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate, the casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia have been an important addition to this business segment since 2021. A look at the figures of the casinos in Saxony-Anhalt shows how enormous the potential is in this area: already in the second year of operation by the Gauselmann Group, the number of visitors doubled several times over. In line with the legally defined channelling mandate, it was thus possible to redirect more players from illegal to legal offerings and protect many customers from the big risks of illegal gaming.
“I have never experienced such a percentage rise in any other sector so far,” Paul Gauselmann points out.
The only bitter pill in the general success story are the political conditions that govern commercial gaming in Germany. The ever-increasing restrictions have not only led to a reduction of more than 30% of gaming machines, the closure of gaming arcades and thus also to the selective loss of jobs, but have also diminished the attractiveness of the legal gaming offering. This, in turn, increases the appeal of illegal gaming offerings – in the context of which consumer protection and responsible gaming are alien concepts. The Gauselmann Group has nevertheless managed to defend its market leadership.
“This is very gratifying, but also necessary in order to uphold our standards even under the more difficult conditions,” said the company patriarch.
This positive development of the company from Eastern Westphalia is also reflected in the “personnel growth” factor. The number of employees increased by 10.7% in 2021, with the company now employing almost 15,000 people worldwide. All of this allows the Gauselmann Group to look to the future with renewed confidence. One source of hope for further building on this successful track record lies in particular in the area of online gaming in Germany, which is currently being developed on a legal footing under the new State Treaty on Gambling that came into force on 1 July 2021 and for which the first licences were recently issued. However, this presupposes that the state intervenes to put a stop to illegal online business as quickly as possible. According to media reports, the new German Federal States’ Joint Gambling Authority has already started calling on illegal providers to discontinue their activities. Failure to do so comes with fines of up to 500,000 euros. Experience in the UK market has shown that land-based gaming and online gaming meaningfully supplement rather than cannibalise each other – provided that the legislator permits a sufficiently attractive range of online gaming offerings; an area where Germany has so far significantly lagged behind other counties.
“We will definitely be making an active contribution with good ideas in the online segment,” promises Paul Gauselmann. The most important insight, however, is “If we perform and can draw on more reasonable framework conditions going forward, success will follow.”
Evoke, one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies with internationally renowned brands including William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, announced the establishment of a new Technology Committee of the Board effective immediately.
The Committee will be chaired by Independent Non-Executive Director Susan Standiford. Non-executive Directors Limor Ganot and Ori Shaked will also be members of the Committee.
The Committee will provide Board-level oversight of evoke’s major technology investments and initiatives, ensuring alignment with business strategy, risk management and operational effectiveness.
Jon Mendelsohn, Chairman of evoke, said: “In a world where technology is evolving at break-neck speed and in an industry where technology leadership is a core driver of sustainable success, our Technology Committee will play an important role in strengthening the Board’s governance and long-term strategy development. The Committee will focus on providing transparency and insight across our product, technology, data and operational initiatives as well as informing the Board and executive leadership on technology trends with the potential to shape the Group’s long-term competitive advantages.”
The post Evoke Announces the Establishment of a New Technology Committee appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions. With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.” Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced that it has officially begun accepting applications for sports betting license. The Commission made the announcement following the unanimous approval of a resolution drafted Tuesday that approved the licensing process. The resolution passed after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office reviewed it. The licensing period opens roughly six months after Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalising sports betting. The measure passed by less than half a percentage point, with a margin of less than 7500 votes.
Underdog Fantasy has relaunched its draft-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games in New York, nearly two months after it withdrew all of its DFS competitions from the Empire State. The decision to withdraw all DFS contests from New York in March came after a ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission in which the commission determined Underdog was not in line with the state’s current DFS law. An Underdog Fantasy spokesperson confirmed the company is still working under a temporary license. The New York State Gaming Commission agreed to allow the company to offer its draft DFS games with the temporary license. Most DFS companies in New York operate with a temporary license.
New Partnerships
Pollard Banknote Limited has congratulated the West Virginia Lottery on the successful launch of Royal Court Riches, its first eInstant game from the Pollard Digital Games Studio. Royal Court Riches has already demonstrated strong performance in multiple markets—in its first international launch, it achieved that jurisdiction’s highest tickets sold, total sales and gross gaming revenue within its first 30 days of release. Royal Court Riches is the first in a series of games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio slated to launch in West Virginia this year.
SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Caliente, one of Mexico’s top gaming platforms. This collaboration marks an exciting expansion for SYNOT Games, as it brings its acclaimed portfolio of gaming content to the Mexican market. It enhances Caliente’s offerings with an extensive array of high-quality slot games such as Respin Joker, Book of Secrets, Realm of Lions and Forest Maiden, designed to captivate players and boost engagement. Caliente with its strong presence in Latin America, is the perfect partner for SYNOT Games’ expansion into the region. The partnership aims to deliver an exceptional gaming experience, combining SYNOT’s visually rich, innovative games with Caliente’s extensive reach and reputation.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry Awards
Betsson Group Nominated in 14 Categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards 2025
Betsson Group has been nominated in 14 categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity & Employee Wellbeing Awards 2025, hosted by Clever Duck Media. These include five company-wide nominations and nine individual nominations for eight of its employees.
These annual awards celebrate excellence in equality, diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing across the global gaming industry. Since its launch in 2010, the event has solidified its position as one of the global gaming industry’s most respected diversity accolades.
The categories in which Betsson Group and its employees have been shortlisted include:
Company Category Nominations:
Best Diverse Place to Work
Community Engagement
Company of the Year (Operator)
Diversity & Inclusion
Great Place to Work Award
Individual Category Nominations:
Affiliate Leader – Shakyra Jonsson
Employee of the Year (Operator) – Lisa Mifsud
Excellence in Customer Service – Gabriella Larsson
HR Champion (Operator) – Tamara Klibadze
Innovator – Lena Nordin
Inspiration of the Year (Operator) – Lena Nordin
Positive Role Model of the Year (Operator) – Lara Lombardi
Star of the Future (Operator) – Jessica Carrillo Miranda
Young Leader of the Year (Operator) – Chellyanne Cassar
These nominations reflect the company’s ongoing dedication to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, respected and empowered to succeed. At Betsson Group, diversity, equity and inclusion are more than buzzwords; they are embedded in the company’s culture, values and daily actions. In previous years, Betsson has been recognised at the WiG Diversity Awards for Best Diverse Place to Work (2022 and 2024), Company of the Year (2019 and 2022) and for Diversity & Inclusion (2021). For the individual categories, Betsson employees have previously won Excellence in Customer Service, Star of the Future and Young Leader of the Year.
The post Betsson Group Nominated in 14 Categories at the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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