International gambling company Merkur Group has announced its acquisition of slot game provider White Hat Studios in an effort to expand its operations in the regulated U.S....
The Founder and longtime Chairman of the Board of Merkur Group, Paul Gauselmann, passed away at the age of 91 on August 21, 2026.
Gauselmann had been leading the company for 67 years, building up a group with over 15,000 employees and $2.5 billion in turnover. Acting in support of the German gaming machine industry, he was also awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class, in 2003 and named an honorary citizen of the cities of Espelkamp and Lübbecke in 2004.
Merkur Group shared in a statement:
“The news of his death has sent shockwaves through the Group’s head office in Merkur-Allee in Espelkamp and throughout the production halls in Paul-Gauselmann-Straße in Lübbecke. For everyone who knew Paul Gauselmann, the loss of him is still too much to take in. Now it is time to say farewell to Paul Gauselmann. The Merkur Group, together with its staff members, pays its respects to an extraordinary individual, with humility and deep gratitude.”
Gauselmann created his first slot machine in 1977, and the in-house Merkur B was the first step for the company’s growth, which later developed hundreds of patents and moved into international markets. Gauselmann was also a strong advocate in helping to create industry policy in trade associations and later played a huge role in turning the vending machine industry into a major economic sector.
