Michael Gauselmann celebrates 70th birthday as Merkur Group reflects on decades of leadership

Michael Gauselmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Merkur Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation, turns 70 on 28 November, marking seven decades shaped by early exposure to the family business, extensive international expansion work, and long-standing leadership within one of Europe’s major gaming companies.

Born in 1955 as the second son of company founder Paul Gauselmann, he became familiar with the industry from an early age. Beginning at 13, he spent school holidays working in different departments of his father’s company, gaining hands-on experience that later informed his management approach and understanding of both operations and financial processes.

He went on to study Business Administration at the University of Hamburg, specializing in IT, statistics, and marketing. After graduating, he joined Nova-Apparate in Hamburg in 1982 as Executive Assistant. One year later, he became Commercial Manager of Franken-Automaten Südvertrieb. When that business was incorporated into the Gauselmann Group, he began the progression that would define his career.

Between 1984 and 1986, he served as Commercial Manager of what is now adp Merkur and also took on the role of CFO. He then led the former Merkur Spielothek, now Merkur Operations, until 1992, a period during which the division expanded to roughly 250 arcades across Germany.

His responsibilities shifted toward international development in 1993. Describing himself as a “game designer at heart,” he played a central role in expanding the Group’s presence outside Germany.

He oversaw the acquisition of Atronic, building it into a key business unit for the development, production, and distribution of casino machines. He also led the acquisition of Bell-Fruit Games in the United Kingdom and established Stella Electronic for the European market, helping strengthen the Group’s global footprint.

From 1994 to 2004, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gauselmann AG. Until the establishment of the Gauselmann Family Foundation, he and his father worked together as co-spokespersons of the Management Board, with Michael overseeing international operations and his father focusing on Germany.

Outside the company, he pursued interests that offered contrast to his professional responsibilities, earning a pilot’s license and later becoming a hunter. He now lives in Graz in the Austrian province of Styria, where he is involved in wildlife conservation.

In 2016, he joined the Advisory Board of the Gauselmann Family Foundation. When his father stepped down from leadership last year, he took over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Merkur Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation in October 2024.

He describes his role as that of motivator, overseer, and adviser. He says he knows the industry “inside out,” while emphasizing that he does not want to “bring back the Gauselmann face” to the company, adding that the emphasis should now be on the Merkur brand, the Management Board, and the teams.

He has also expressed his expectations for the company’s leadership, saying he wants a Management Board made up of strong personalities “who don’t just say ‘Yes, Mr Gauselmann’.” “We are a fantastic corporate group with countless opportunities,” he says. “We create entertainment – and that is something to be proud of.” Restoring employees’ sense of pride, he notes, is one of his priorities.

He plans to step back from his roles no later than age 75. Until then, he intends to contribute to the continued development of the Merkur Group as an internationally oriented entertainment provider.