Merkur Group finally given launch date to take over ten casinos in Lower Saxony
Merkur Spielbanken has finally been given the green light and launch date to take over and manage the ten casino locations in Lower Saxony with July 1 being the go live for the switchover.
Merkur Group won the state tender for the casino concession way back in November 2023, but a protracted legal dispute broke-out with the previous Austrian operator, which has now been settled out of court. As a result, the Merkur Group can immediately start taking over the ten casinos. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance has already officially approved the takeover of all shares in Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH.
Consequently, the casinos in Lower Saxony will become the newest members of the Merkur Group. The family-owned company is expanding its casino portfolio to include the locations of Bad Bentheim, Bad Pyrmont, Bad Zwischenhahn, Braunschweig, Göttingen, Hanover, Norderney, Osnabrück, Seevetal and Wolfsburg. Matches will start here on 1 July 2025 under the umbrella of the Merkur Sun. The successful Merkur operating concept will be implemented as soon as possible, offering guests an innovative mix of state-of-the-art slot machines and systems, a wide range of classic game offerings, an extensive gastronomic offer, special events and promotions as well as first-class guest service.
In recent years, Merkur Spielbanken has developed into the most successful German casino operator and has shown that with innovative concepts, tailor-made technical solutions and committed teams, it is possible to operate casinos successfully even under difficult conditions. This experience will now also flow directly into the realignment of the casino locations in Lower Saxony.
David Schnabel, CEO Merkur Casinos of the Merkur Group, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the team of casinos in Lower Saxony as part of our group of companies. After the end of the long negotiations, we can finally offer the employees planning security and long-term career prospects.”
He added that it was now important to complete the integration of the casinos into the group of companies without delay. Not only will all of the approximately 430 jobs be secured, but additional ones will also be created.
“Through the joint realignment of the locations, we will make the path of the casinos in Lower Saxony even more successful by introducing the proven processes and concepts of the Merkur casinos and thus ensuring that we can carry the previous success of the casinos into the future,” Mr. Schnabel added.
