DRGT, APEX and Merit International launch wide-area progressive across Northern Cyprus casinos

DRGT, APEX, and Merit International have introduced a new nationwide progressive jackpot network connecting six casinos in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, marking the companies’ latest large-scale deployment of Clover Link Elements machines.

The launch follows DRGT’s recent rollout of Mexico’s first nationwide progressive jackpot, which linked 128 Clover Link Elements machines across 17 venues. The Northern Cyprus installation is larger, covering 333 machines within Merit International’s portfolio.

“This project further cements our ever-expanding relationship with Merit,” said Jurgen De Munck, co-founder and DRGT executive chairman. He noted that the company has already deployed its management system and cashless technology across three Merit properties.

Jurgen De Munck, co-founder and DRGT executive chairman

“As was the case in Mexico, combining our Wide Area and Winshare technology with the elegance of APEX’s Pinnacle Slant Top 32 Premium cabinet and the thrill of Clover Link Elements, we’re again raising the bar in a joint collaboration that benefits both Merit and its players.”

The installation connects all six Merit casinos, forming a synchronized jackpot system that updates in real time. Each bank features large LED displays, and the jackpot includes three progressive levels: Major, Grand, and Mega.

According to DRGT managing director Andreas Duller, the Major and Grand operate locally within each casino, while the Mega links all participating venues and machines. The Mega jackpot starts at 20,000,000 Turkish Lira, roughly €400,000.

When the Mega is won, 80% of the prize goes to the player who hits the jackpot. The remaining 20% is divided equally among eligible players active on linked machines at the time, an approach intended to increase shared participation across the network.

Nuh Yöndem, slot director at Merit International

Nuh Yöndem, slot director at Merit International, said DRGT’s jackpot controller, wide-area functionality, and drMediaManager allow Merit to shift configurations from local to wide-area quickly. “All configurations are also independent from the base game, ensuring no impact on our players’ core gaming experience; we’re very happy about that,” he said.

DRGT CEO Marco Herrera said: “With this launch for Nuh and his team at Merit, we continue to grow our reputation as a formidable jackpot solution provider. Disconnection has always been a historical challenge for WAP jackpots, and we’ve now changed that. By ensuring a shared secondary prize for all eligible players we’re creating a true sense of community and shared excitement across all of Merit’s casinos.”