Casino Merkur-Spielothek receives award in Berlin

This, the highest distinction of the German gaming machine industry, moreover, is only awarded to arcades which have been certified by the Arcade Evaluation Committee as ‘exemplary arcades’.

“We are very proud that our company has once again been distinguished by the award of the ‘Golden Jack’, since, here in Berlin, thanks to new statutory regulations, it has not been made easy for us to provide a customer-friendly and at the same time economically sustainable  range of products at the moment. So, among other things, we have had to reduce our first-class service severely, which, of course, is borne by our customers. The new regulations have hit our trainees hard as well.  Important training contents can no longer be put across”, explained Dieter Kuhlmann, Member of the Gauselmann Group Board of Directors for the Casino Merkur-Spielothek Division. The focus will continue to be placed on the best-qualified employees, in order to be able to stand out from competitors in a positive fashion, according to Dieter Kuhlmann.

The ‘Golden Jack’ is awarded by the Arcade Evaluation Committee of the German gaming machine industry. Casino Merkur-Spielothek has already earned the award a number of times. “This is a testament to the high quality we offer at each site”, according to Dieter Kuhlmann.

Dirk Lamprecht, CEO of AWI, the Gaming Machine Industry Association Information Service GmbH, presented the coveted seal of quality of the German gaming machine industry – the Golden Jack statue and the certificate – to the Branch Manager, Katrin Haussner, and her team. “With the award of the Golden Jack to the Casino Merkur-Spielothek in Berlin, we want set an example and show what good, fair and reputable gaming looks like”, according to Dirk Lamprecht. “The Golden Jack is an award, both for Casino Merkur-Spielothek as a company, and for the committed team working in this entertainment centre.” Katrin Haussner heads a team of 13, who are ready to answer any questions guests have concerning the rules of the games. 

Thrilling entertainment is provided for the guests in a stylish atmosphere at the entertainment centre. So-called multi-gamers, amusement machines with numerous games, provide gaming enjoyment rich in variety. A particular highlight is the ‘Vision Slant Top Highflyer’, with its hovering monitor.  The interior decoration of the entertainment centre bears the name ‘Highlight’ and was exclusively developed by Susanne Rasspe, Head of the ‘Creative and Design Development’ Department at Casino Merkur-Spielothek, together with her team, at the company headquarters in Espelkamp. 

An era has also closed with the award of the Golden Jack: Klaus Heinen, Head of the Arcade Evaluation Committee, who has certified more than 4,000 arcades over the past twelve years, passed the baton on to his successor, Dieter Schmitz. Dieter Kuhlmann thanked Klaus Heinen and presented him with a statue of Mercury and a certificate in farewell. 

Casino Merkur-Spielothek is a subsidiary of the family-run Gauselmann Group, with its headquarters in Espelkamp (North Rhine-Westphalia). The smiling Merkur Sun, Germany’s favourite gaming and good luck symbol, is, both nationally and internationally, a trademark for modern entertainment. Over 50 years ago, in June 1957, the Münster-born company founder, Paul Gauselmann, laid the foundation-stone for today’s Gauselmann Group of Companies with his part-time occupation as an independent AWP operator.

The unparalleled development of the one-man operation into an international corporation with currently over 6,300 employees worldwide and an overall business volume of around 1.7 thousand million euros for the financial year 2011, distributed across four business units (Merkur Division, Merkur International, Spielothek Division and New Media), is a German success story unlike many others.

One important milestone in the company’s commercial success was the ‘invention’ of the modern arcade in the form of the Casino Merkur-Spielothek. The first was opened in 1974 in Delmenhorst in Lower Saxony. Currently, approximately 400 entertainment centres are operated across Europe by the consortium. The training of qualified trainees has been a matter of course for the family-run Gauselmann Group for decades. On the effective date, 1 August, alone in 2011, 53 young people started an apprenticeship in the company. Currently, around 190 apprentices are in training in 15 different careers.