Merkur Casino UK enters Northern Ireland with acquisition of Oasis Retail Services

Merkur Casino UK has extended its land-based gaming presence across the United Kingdom by acquiring Oasis Retail Services, its first venture into Northern Ireland, continuing the company’s steady growth since entering the UK market in 2012 through the purchase of Praesepe.

The transaction brings Merkur Casino UK, a subsidiary of Germany’s Merkur Group, into Northern Ireland for the first time. Oasis Retail Services operates 16 gaming venues and supplies hundreds of machines across pubs, clubs, and betting shops. The company also manages Joyland on Newcastle’s Promenade and employs about 150 people.

Based in Newtownabbey, Oasis Retail Services forms part of Oasis Leisure Group, founded in 1968 by Belfast-born entrepreneur Gerald Steinberg. The group reported a pre-tax profit of £3.8 million on a turnover of £13.4 million in 2024.

“We are delighted to welcome Oasis Retail Services into the Merkur family,” said Mark Schertle, Chief Operating Officer of Merkur Casino UK. “Oasis is a business built on strong values, quality, and a long-term commitment to its customers and employees. We are particularly pleased that Oasis has long operated to the same high standards that define Merkur. We will maintain and further develop this quality and reliability together – for the benefit of both employees and customers.”

The acquisition places Merkur Casino UK in one of Europe’s established gaming markets. The company said it intends to maintain the operational standards that have characterized Oasis’s service to customers and employees over its five decades in business.

Merkur Group, previously known as the Gauselmann Group, was founded in 1957 by Paul Gauselmann. Headquartered in Espelkamp, Germany, the company remains family-owned and operates across casinos, cruise ships, and gaming terminals.

The group rebranded its UK business as Merkur Casino UK in 2012. Since then, Merkur has continued its focus on the UK’s regulated gaming market as part of its long-term operational strategy.

Meanwhile, Oasis founder, Steinberg, has long been a figure in Northern Ireland’s gaming industry. He previously chaired the Northern Ireland Amusement Caterers Trade Association and served as president of the Belfast Jewish Community and the Northern Ireland Friends of Israel.