Expansion in Europe continues

Espelkamp/Bratislava. On 1st June MERKUR CASINO reached a further important milestone on the intended expansion course in Eastern Europe: the first MERKUR CASINO in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, started operations! “Our professional and consistent resolve“, says Rolf Falke, CEO of MERKUR CASINO, “coupled with decades of know-how as ‘Die Spielemacher’ are the ideal basis to make the expansion a success. I think that we are right in being confident that our concept will continue to work on a sound basis in the European arena.“

The new MERKUR CASINO is located in the historic border and bridge town on the southwestern frontier of Slovakia with its 450 000 inhabitants, close to the border triangle of Slovakia-Hungary-Austria, to be precise in the city quarter Ruzinov, and offers in addition excellent traffic connections. Furthermore, the football stadiums ‘Slovan’ and ‘Inter’ as well as further popular sports arenas are close-by.

Nine staff see to the well-being of the guests from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m. every day on a surface of 330 sqm. Currently, 32 innovative AWP machines as well as two MERKUR Roulette tables are operated. Similar to the other more than 50 MERKUR CASINOs’ in other European countries first class entertainment is the motto for success under the auspicious MERKUR sun. A modern food and beverage zone underlines the unique ambiance of the MERKUR CASINO.

MERKUR CASINO is a subsidiary of the internationally active Gauselmann Group based in Espelkamp (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany. In the fiscal year 2005 the group generated revenues of EUR 688.2m. The Gauselmann Group employs more than 5,600 staff worldwide, including 500 game developers, and is the only company in the German amusement machine industry to be certified according to ISO DIN 9001:2000.

Under the umbrella MERKUR INTERNATIONAL the Gauselmann Group combines the international brands MERKUR GAMING and MERKUR CASINO.

While MERKUR GAMING represents the product range on the sales level, the subsidiary MERKUR CASINO is responsible for the operational level and can draw from more than 30 years experience as operators of the most successful German arcade chain, Merkur-Spielothek. Not only qualified staff with a high willingness to offer excellent service, a consistent public-oriented product management, and an exigent and adventure-focused ambiance but also target group oriented marketing, the ability to innovate and creativity are decisive factors on which the distinctiveness of the MERKUR CASINOs in Europe is based.