WestSpiel

WestSpiel was a German casino operator based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was originally owned by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia through the NRW.Bank, and operated several state-licensed casinos in Germany. In 2021, the company was privatized and sold to the Gauselmann Group, after which it was rebranded as Merkur Spielbanken NRW. The company operates casinos in North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt, and Lower Saxony, including venues in Aachen, Bad Oeynhausen, Duisburg, Hohensyburg, Monheim, Leuna-Günthersdorf, Magdeburg, Halle, Bad Bentheim, Bad Pyrmont, Bad Zwischenahn, Braunschweig, Göttingen, Hannover, Norderney, Osnabrück, Seevetal, and Wolfsburg. WestSpiel was a major player in the German casino market, holding around 20% market share. In 2019, its casinos attracted about 1.02 million visitors and generated gross gaming revenue of €138.8 million. The company also operated a magazine, Casino live, from 2002 to 2012. It was the namesake of the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. After privatization, the company continues to operate under the Merkur brand, part of the family-owned Merkur Group.

WestSpiel was originally part of WestLB until 2002, when WestLB was split into a commercial bank and the NRW.Bank as a development bank; WestSpiel then became part of NRW.Bank. From the early 1990s until 2001, WestSpiel operated Spielbank Kassel. In 2002, the subsidiary WestSpiel-Entertainment GmbH (WSE) was founded to manage gastronomy, restaurants, bars, and catering at the casinos, as well as organize events and concerts. In 2018, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia decided to privatize WestSpiel. In December 2020, the company received a 15-year extension of its concession. In 2021, the state's shares were sold to the Gauselmann Group, effective September 1, 2021, and the company was renamed Merkur Spielbanken NRW. The company had a market share of about 20% in the German casino market. In 2019, it operated six casinos with about 1,020 employees and nearly 1.03 million visits, generating gross gaming revenue of €138.8 million and paying €65.8 million in casino tax. In 2014, WestSpiel only achieved a surplus through the controversial sale of two Warhol paintings for a total of €111.4 million. After a loss of €2.9 million in 2016, it reported a loss of €1.2 million in 2018. In December 2019, the EU Commission opened a formal state aid investigation into alleged financial aid for WestSpiel. The company was the namesake of the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf and was to be the namesake of the Tivoli in Aachen, but the contract was not signed. In 2023, Spielbank Monheim opened. The company continues to operate under the Merkur brand.

• 2023

  Spielbank Monheim opened in March.

• 2021

  Sold to Gauselmann Group effective September 1; renamed Merkur Spielbanken NRW.

• 2020

  Company received a 15-year concession extension in December.

• 2018

  State government of North Rhine-Westphalia decided to privatize WestSpiel in May.

• 2007

  Spielbank Duisburg opened in February.

• 2002

  WestSpiel became part of NRW.Bank after WestLB split; WestSpiel-Entertainment GmbH founded.

• 1985

  Spielbank Hohensyburg in Dortmund opened in June.

• 1980

  Spielbank Bad Oeynhausen opened.

• 1976

  Spielbank Aachen opened in July.

State-licensed casino operator in Germany, now part of the family-owned Merkur Group, emphasizing responsible gaming and premium gaming experiences.

• Casino gaming

• Slot machines

• Table games

• Restaurants and bars

• Event hosting

1. 1MERKUR SPIELBANKENmerkur-spielbanken.de
2. 2WestSpielwikidata.org
3. 3Merkur Spielbanken NRWde.wikipedia.org