01 
Franzi | Games
Franzi | Games 
50 Years of MERKUR CASINO
Half a century has passed since our first MERKUR Arcade opened its doors. Time for a look back!
approx. 5 min.
50 Years of MERKUR CASINO
Enjoying the game for 50 years
How it all began
On 1 February 1974, our first Arcade made by MERKUR opened in Delmenhorst – at that time still under the name MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK. From the very beginning, we focused on first-class atmosphere, excellently trained staff, outstanding service, and innovative gaming machines – with success!
Just a short time after the opening of the first MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK in Delmenhorst, MERKUR CASINO took on the leading role in the German home market.
1/3 The interior design of a MERKUR-SPIELOTHEK in the late 1970s.
2/3 Back then still mostly grey, but uniform in all MERKUR-SPIELOTHEKEN: the interior design.
3/3 At the beginning of the 2000s, the interior became more colourful, with gold and red tones dominating – right up to the present day.
Political framework conditions
Over the decades, political framework conditions increasingly shaped the industry and continue to pose major challenges for MERKUR CASINO GmbH to this day.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the admissibility of adjacent gaming venues on a commercial site was debated. Municipalities complained about the alleged problem of a flood of arcades in city centres.
By the end of the decade, the expansion of gaming venues came to a standstill, as hardly any permits for new premises were issued. On the initiative of the Association of the German Amusement and Vending Machine Industry (VDAI), the voluntary Automaten-Selbstkontrolle (ASK – self-regulation for amusement machines) was established in 1981 by the industry associations. Stickers for age classification of games were introduced.
Award-winning: MERKUR CASINO
In recent years, a variety of awards have shown that MERKUR CASINO is absolutely on the right track with its combination of state-of-the-art products, stylish entertainment, and a strong focus on first-class service. Among other things, we have been recognised in the categories “Best Service”, “Best Ambience”, and “Top National Employer”.
