Gauselmann revenues top 1 billion Euro

The result matches the previous year, despite difficult market and competitive conditions. There was in fact a rise in consolidated revenues to € 1.056 billion, compared with € 1.007 billion in 2006.

Total business volume totalled € 1.28 billion, down slightly from € 1.33 billion in the previous year, while foreign business contributed to about 50 per cent of total revenue.

Gauselmann reported that the new German gaming machine laws brought foreign competitors into the market, but it "asserted its position as the leading company in the field of electronic amusement with and without prizes in Germany."

Its interests in Atronic, the Austrian-based supplier of casino slot machines, were affected by the Russian downturn, and other pressures resulted in the transfer of the remaining 50 per cent shares in Atronic to partner Gtech

In the arcades business, the group has 200 locations in Germany under the Merkur-Spielothek brand and 100 under the Merkur Casino brand in other countries, particularly Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Machine leasing had seen group investment of € 137 million, with particular emphasis on the sports betting business in Italy where the company has licenses for 76 offices and 157 sales points in the region north of Rome.

The company has 5,781 staff of which 4,270 positions are in Germany.

Gauselmann Group said that it would concentrate on core competences in 2008 and advance in both domestic and international sectors during the year.