News
September/October 2026
Sports Betting bet365 enters W. Virginia
bet365 has launched its sportsbook and online casino in West Virginia, expanding its US presence to 18 states. Te operator enters the market ahead of the college football and NFL seasons, offering sports betting features including Early Payout alongside its casino portfolio. Te launch also introduces Jackpot365, bet365’s in-house multi-tier progressive jackpot feature. Head of Development Trip Stoddard described West Virginia as another important step in the company’s North American expansion.
Interactive Six studios: One collective
Maxxi Labs has launched as a new studio collective bringing together six independent development teams through a single integration. Bad Company, Fortune One, Gacha, Red Papaya, Slotty and Ventura Studio will retain their individual creative identities while producing six to eight releases monthly. Te first wave includes Bad Company’s crypto-native Mad Ducks, alongside AviaX, Master Baiter, Cluck Hunt and Clucking Rush, supported by Maxxi Labs’ infrastructure and Rewards platform.
Merkur makes moves in France Operator News
Merkur is seeking to strengthen its French casino business through the acquisition of Société Française de Casinos (SFC), combining Casigrangi’s local market expertise with Merkur’s European presence and technology capabilities. Te German group already operates extensively across Europe, with 18 casinos in Germany and stakes in seven others. Its German portfolio expanded significantly in 2025 through the acquisition of ten casinos in Lower Saxony. Merkur also operates casinos in the Czech
Republic and UK, including properties in Aberdeen, Milton Keynes and Leeds, and is
Interactive Pateplay enters US
Pateplay has entered the US market after securing a full online gaming licence in Pennsylvania, becoming the first Bulgarian company to receive this authorisation. Te game studio plans to introduce its complete portfolio, including its new jackpot system, and establish partnerships with local operators. Pateplay has also secured preliminary approval in New Jersey, where it expects to launch shortly, while awaiting approval in Michigan as it continues its expansion across regulated US markets.
Industry legend Paul Gauselmann passes Land-based gaming
Paul Gauselmann, founder and decades-long leader of the Merkur Group, passed away on 21 August at the age of 91, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy as an entrepreneur, industry pioneer and philanthropist. Born in 1934 near Münster, Gauselmann began his
developing its casino business aboard cruise ships. Te acquisition would provide Merkur with a platform for further expansion in the French gaming market, with the partners aiming to combine their respective strengths to support future growth. Société Française de Casinos expects to generate full-year revenues of approximately €22.5m.
career in telecommunications before entering the amusement machine industry. Driven by a desire for independence, he became self-employed in 1964, opened his first gaming arcade a decade later and launched the Merkur B in 1977. It proved a breakthrough, helping transform his one-man business into an international group employing more than 15,000 people with turnover of around €2.1bn. For decades, Gauselmann also played a defining role in Germany’s amusement and gaming machine industry, including 28 years as Chairman of the Association of the German Vending Machine Industry. Beyond business, he was a committed philanthropist,
supporting social welfare, healthcare, culture and sport, particularly within the Espelkamp and Lübbecke region. A father, grandfather, great-grandfather and husband to
Karin, Paul Gauselmann remained closely connected to both his family and company throughout his life. His smiling Merkur sun remains an enduring symbol of the business he created.
Cipriani targets 2027 opening Operator News
Italian hospitality entrepreneur Giuseppe Cipriani has targeted October 2027 for the opening of Hotel Casino San Rafael in Punta del Este after resolving a construction dispute with contractor CRIBA. Following a meeting with Uruguay President
Yamandú Orsi, Cipriani said construction should finish by May 2027, allowing several months for commissioning before the summer season. Around 400 workers have returned to the site, while 300 people are training for
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future roles. Grupo Cipriani has invested more than US$248m in the development, which combines a luxury hotel, residences, casino, dining and entertainment facilities. Cipriani, whose family hospitality business
traces its origins to Venice’s Harry’s Bar, is positioning San Rafael as an integrated luxury resort aimed at international visitors and casino customers. Te group is also considering a temporary casino at Locanda Punta del Este, its property at the former Hotel Mantra in Manantiales, while San Rafael is completed. Cipriani could invest US$10m-US$12m in the interim facility, though is awaiting approval.
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