Against a background of domestic turmoil, Germany’s biggest games maker has forged a fresh future globally, but in 2018 it must refocus on its core German market
In 2017, the Gauselmann Group, Germany’s major manufacturer-operator, derived for the first time a majority of its revenues from its non-German activities. While the international market will continue to be a focus, main board director Jürgen Stühmeyer told InterGame, 2018 will see the principal attention switched to the domestic market. It may have its political issues but Germany’s AWP operating industry is still big business in Europe and for the Gauselmann Group it provides the foundation of its activities. In 2018, the German market will see a change of technology that will, within the following 12 months, result in all 250,000-plus machines being changed. The TR5 technical specification is being introduced against a background of turbulence. The first amended interstate gambling treaty - signed between the country’s 16 semi-autonomous states or länder - has deep implications for the operation of AWP machines. The background to the states’ attitude towards arcades is generally “player protection” and whether their treaty will work or not in that respect is another issue. In fact, it is the contention of the operating industry - and Jürgen Stühmeyer too - that it will do little for player protection and will, in fact, simply encourage illegal gambling.
