The UK has just over 150,000 gambling machines across all sectors, while Germany currently has about 180,000 - yet the German machines on average earn considerably better than their British counterparts.
This is because the German machines are to all intents and purposes what the British would consider Category B3s, says Sascha Blodau, general manager of Merkur UK, the British subsidiary of Germany’s giant Gauselmann Group.
Blodau was talking to InterGame in an interview that will be reproduced in our upcoming German Special Issue.
The close numbers of active machines in the two countries is as far as similarities go, said Blodau.
“The German system allows for just one type of machine in both pubs and arcades, but in the UK the sector is broken up into different types of machines for different applications and only the B3 machine can be considered anywhere near similar to the German AWP.”
He emphasised, however: “At Merkur UK, we have enjoyed a record year in the British market and our group HQ is well satisfied with its British investment.”
