Merkur continues to drive forward
Despite the worldwide crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic, Merkur Gaming is ‘keeping the passion’ and continues to move forward.
Germany.- While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the gaming industry around the world, Merkur Gaming’s various teams are working hard, both visibly in territories that are at present operating semi-normally and also behind the scenes; combining their efforts to be ready to hit the ground running just as soon as whatever the global ‘new normal’ in gaming will be becomes clear.
Merkur Gaming’s chief executive, International, Athanasios ‘Sakis’ Isaakidis, is at the forefront of supporting the Merkur Board and bringing to fruition new initiatives for the short term and also the strategies that will be necessary as more familiar business levels resume. “We are not on holiday and we are not sleeping” he said “we are working very hard to support our customers, in whatever they need, during these difficult times.”
Mr Isaakidis went on to explain a brand new initiative that is just one example of the efforts being made to support Merkur Gaming’s customers; presenting a range of new product developments that were planned to have been the highlight of the company’s presence at the now cancelled G2E in Las Vegas.
He said: “What we will be bringing to our customers, starting in early November, will be a live stream presentation from our showroom in Luebbeke. This is not a ‘virtual’ event. Our invited customers will each be hosted by their own, familiar, company representative, and in real time. They will be able to see our new products, our new cabinets and our new games, discuss them one-to-one, ask any questions they have and so get a very valuable first insight into what will be available from Merkur Gaming. I promise you, it will intensive and it will be exciting. Exciting for us to be able to see our customers’ reactions and exciting for them to be up to speed with what we are very confident will be major hit products on gaming floors soon.”
Mr Isaakidis went on to talk about where gaming is taking place successfully at present. “We are, of course, encouraging the industry to ‘Restart with Merkur’ and, in quite a few locations, that is already happening. Our business in eastern Europe, in the Balkans particularly, is as healthy as it can be in the current situation. In Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia gaming entertainment is doing well. The recent announcement of the new gaming law in the Ukraine is truly exciting and we want all our customers and business partners to know that Merkur is coming, and we expect to be a major supplier there. Early 2021 will see the first installations in the Ukraine and there will be some exciting new developments in Bulgaria also.
In our home market, Germany, casino operations are doing well and the Gauselmann Group’s mainstay, the many gaming arcades that we operate, are active and providing players with the high class gaming entertainment that they have come to expect. In this the existing regulations that gaming arcades must comply with have helped meet the primary need of keeping both players and our staff safe and well. It is mandatory to provide ample space between each gaming machine and that, combined with the highest levels of social distancing, sanitation and protective shielding from machine to machine, has given our loyal players the confidence to return, and in ever increasing numbers.
Despite all of the difficulties of the past months the entire Merkur Gaming team is looking forward to the challenges, and the opportunities, that lie ahead. We have always been passionate about our place in the national and international gaming industry and, right now and into the future we are focusing on keeping that passion and looking forward to what will certainly be a bright future.”
