Merkur’s leadership transition marks a new era for the Group. How has this restructuring reshaped the role and strategic mandate of the Merkur Games division?
Te recent restructuring marks a significant milestone for the Merkur Group, giving the Merkur Games division a clearly defined and strengthened role. By uniting R&D, Game Design, Production, Product Management, Sales, and After-Sales under one umbrella, all B2B disciplines are now consolidated within a single segment - enabling closer collaboration, faster decision-making, and a more dynamic response to market needs.
As a Group, we remain firmly rooted in our German heritage while pursuing accelerated international growth. For Merkur Games, this means reinforcing our strong position in Germany while expanding into both established and emerging global markets. Our focus is on creating products that truly resonate with players - games that meet local market requirements while inspiring and entertaining audiences worldwide.
Tis ambition is reflected in two key appointments: Marcel Heutmekers, Senior Vice President Merkur Games International, who drives global market expansion, and Günter Blümel, who is building a globally oriented product organisation. In close dialogue with the Supervisory Board, the Management Board ensures that innovation and commercial excellence remain at the heart of Merkur’s success.
At G2E you spoke of a “transformation initiative” underway within the Group, and of becoming more agile, open-minded, and globally integrated. What practical steps are being taken to achieve that?
Our “transformation initiative” is all about turning strategic ambition into tangible action. Two recent landmarks - granting the Nevada gaming license and acquiring Gaming Arts - represent decisive steps towards greater global integration. With Gaming Arts, we gain direct access to the US gaming market, along with a strong existing network, a broad customer base, and exceptional development and game design capabilities.
Equally important is our strategic partnership with electronic table games specialist Spintec, whose strong global presence creates powerful synergies for Merkur. Together, these partnerships are powerful drivers of our international growth strategy.
Internally, we are also seeing remarkable momentum. Our development teams are collaborating closely - sharing ideas, learning from one another, and operating with the agility and creativity that define modern product development. Complementing this, we have introduced new
game engines that significantly accelerate our development processes while unlocking fresh possibilities for innovation. Tese advances, both technological and cultural, reflect exactly what our transformation is about: a more connected, forward-looking, and dynamic Merkur Group.
Te presentation in Las Vegas emphasised “bringing the spirit back” to the company. From your perspective, what does that spirit mean in day-to-day product development and management?
For us, “bringing the spirit back” is about reigniting the passion, creativity, and sense of unity that have always defined Merkur. In practical terms, this means fostering close collaboration and active exchange between all our offices worldwide. By working together seamlessly across borders, we can identify and leverage synergies that help us continuously refine and elevate our core product - the game.
At the same time, we are creating an environment that encourages accountability, creativity, and innovation. Our teams are empowered to take ownership of their projects while having the freedom to explore new ideas and approaches. Tis balance between responsibility and creative space is crucial to developing products that truly inspire players.
Ultimately, we are an entertainment company, and our guiding principle “Enjoy the Game” applies not only to our players but also to our people. To ensure that our employees enjoy the work they do, we live by three core values: challenge, support, and appreciate. By challenging our teams to think differently, supporting them in their growth, and appreciating their contributions, we keep the Merkur spirit alive every day.
How does your leadership team balance the strength of Merkur’s domestic markets, such as Germany and the UK, with the need to accelerate growth internationally?
Germany remains our most important market with the largest installed base. However, given the limited growth opportunities due to regulation, it is essential for us to place an even stronger focus on international expansion. Our international business is becoming increasingly important, and I am confident that we will continue to expand our global footprint successfully.
Te UK plays a key role in our growth strategy. As one of the most stable, well-regulated, and dynamic markets in the world, it offers an excellent environment for long-term success. With the Blueprint Group, we are already in a very strong position and intend to build on that momentum. Beyond these core markets, we continue to see growth potential in Spain as well as in Western and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Importantly, we also strive to leverage synergies across markets: what we do
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