Another important gaming industry B2B event returned in March, post-Covid, with the 42nd edition of the Dublin-based Irish Gaming Show. The expo was hosted in a new venue, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Santry. Merkur Gaming attended the meeting and showcased what it described as “a strong product range.”
Catering for all sectors of the Irish gaming industry – casinos, amusements, arcades, bingo halls, and single-site operations – the Irish Gaming Show was run under the backdrop of the 2022 creation of the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland that has moved to create forthcoming new regulations for gaming operations; including certain limitations on applicable stakes and prizes on gaming machines.
According to a press release, the Merkur brand has had “a successful presence” in Ireland for some years, working in tandem with distributive partners EU Slot Sales (who are also operators and multiple venue owners) and exhibited in Dublin with a “strong product range that proved to be a definite top attraction” for visitors.
“This was an event that, although relatively small, maintained its long-held reputation for being uniquely Irish and the most social event in the gaming industry calendar,” the company said.
Merkur presented a new multigame collection, Diamond Games, that “has been created to comply with any future stakes and prize limitations.” The Diamond Spins wheel feature is available on games within the multigame, and in each base game, the player may be awarded Diamonds that are then stored on a Diamond Meter.
The player can then select the Diamond Spins Bonus Game, and the number of stored Diamonds he selects to play determines the awarded cash prize or the number of additional Diamonds awarded for a winning spin of the wheel. Additionally, a Merkur Mystery Bonus is “a great feature of all the Diamond Games’ titles.”
Speaking at the show, Athanasios “Sakis” Isaakidis, Merkur Gaming’s Chief Executive, international stated: “It was a great pleasure to attend the Irish Gaming Show and I am extremely grateful to Philip and Steven O’Leary of EU Slot Sales for all of their continued support over the past few years.”
“They are currently installing our Merkur Mystery and our successful linked jackpots Red Pocket and Link Zone2 in their own locations and thus gaining valuable data and player reactions as those products, and others, gaining valuable floor space and player feedback on prime locations throughout Ireland.”
Irina Ruf
Earlier this month, the company announced Irina Ruf has assumed the role of Managing Director International with immediate effect. The subsidiary of the Eastern Westphalian Gauselmann Group operates around 800 arcades in Germany and across Europe.
As the new managing director, Irina Ruff is responsible for securing and growing the existing markets as well as for driving forward new acquisitions in the international arena. Ruf is thus stepping into the role of Stefan Bruns, who will represent the Sports Betting and Online Gaming business segment on the Management Board of the Gauselmann Group.
