Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the iGaming industry, will begin supplying its Slots to the prominent Slovak operator Niké in its latest partnership. 

Niké’s players will now gain access to Pragmatic Play’s impressive lineup of award-winning player-favourite titles, from iconic hits like Wolf Gold and Big Bass Bonanza to the popular Sugar Rush and Gates of Olympus.  

As one of Slovakia’s market leaders, partnering with Niké will catalyse further growth across the country for Pragmatic Play and introduce more players to its content for the first time. 

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The agreement is the latest in a string of major partnerships for Pragmatic Play in Europe, following deals with Napoleon in Belgium and GAMRFIRST in Switzerland, as it continues to solidify its presence in the region and globally. 

Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Pragmatic Play continues to expand in regulated markets, and partnering with major operators like Niké in Slovakia provides a great opportunity for us to deliver our rich portfolio of games to even more players. We look forward to a great partnership with Niké as it continues to strengthen its offering as a top operator in the market.” 

Robert Vizvari, Chief Revenue Officer at Niké, said: “Adding Pragmatic Play games to our game lobby is a significant step forward for us. It has gained an enviable reputation for delivering some of the industry’s most entertaining experiences and opening those opportunities up to our player base heralds the beginning of a fantastic collaboration.” 

The Gauselmann Group has won the tender for the casino concession of the German state of Lower Saxony. This means the group has the opportunity to operate up to ten casino locations. The concession allows for the state-licensed locations to be operated under the umbrella of the MERKUR sun from 1 September 2024, initially for a period of 15 years.

“I’m extremely delighted about receiving the casino concession in our neighbouring state of Lower Saxony. Being able to clock up this additional significant milestone in our company’s history, just two years after taking over the North Rhine-Westphalia casinos, makes me and all the employees involved very proud and shows once again that we master the ‘higher school’ of gaming with and centred round money, and that we can act responsibly in this respect. Now, in autumn 2024, the task is to integrate the Lower Saxony casinos, with their roughly 400 employees, into our company and to welcome them to the world of Merkur,” Paul Gauselmann, company founder and Chairman of the Management Board of the Gauselmann Group, said.

Pivotal for the issuance of the casino concession was the proven exemplary competence of the Gauselmann Group’s ability to operate casinos. A total of 15 locations in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate already demonstrate the success of the company. In addition to the proof of economic viability and financial stability, the high quality of the operator’s concept, above all, were decisive for the issuance of the casino concession.

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“With the takeover of the North Rhine-Westphalia casinos in 2021, we proved in an impressive way that we are able to realign the gaming and service offering in record time, to secure existing jobs, create new ones, and even increase their attractiveness. I’m certain that we will also be able to set new standards in Lower Saxony and continue to write our story of success with the casinos there,” David Schnabel, Managing Director of all Merkur Spielbanken, said.

When the epic showdown in Seoul on November 19 decides the new “League of Legends” world champion, millions of Germans will have tuned in to witness one of the most electrifying esports tournaments in the world. The global phenomenon of esports has become an integral part of the media consumption for many Germans, as revealed in the latest survey conducted by game – The German Games Industry Association in collaboration with the market research company YouGov. Nearly a quarter (23%) of Germans have already caught an esports tournament or match – that’s around 16 million people. The number of esports viewers in Germany has shot up by over 4 million since 2020. Interest is particularly strong among the younger generation, with almost half (48%) of the 16-24-year-olds and 45% of the 25-34-year-olds having indulged in esports broadcasts. Around 27% of the viewers even have their favourite esports teams, whose successes they passionately follow. In total, almost 8 out of 10 Germans (77%) know what esports are or have at least heard of them – a significant boost from the 71% in 2020.

But it’s not just about spectating; approximately a quarter of all gamers (23%) in Germany, roughly 10 million people, have thrown themselves into esports competitions, be it LAN parties or online leagues. Among the 25-34-year-old gamers, more than 4 out of 10 (42%) have jumped into the esports action. In 2020, the percentage of German gamers actively participating in esports was only 18%.

“When thinking of top esports teams worldwide, names like BIG, G2 esports, or SK Gaming increasingly come to mind, and these successful esports organizations are from Germany. It’s become a global phenomenon with millions tuning in for top tournaments and leagues, both here in Germany and around the world. Esports events have become genuine crowd-pullers right here in our country. This phenomenon is being recognized and harnessed in several federal states. For instance, Schleswig-Holstein has official state championships and a funded esports regional center, while North Rhine-Westphalia backs its own talent team through the esports player foundation and Munich is hosting the 2024 League of Legends EMEA Championship, a tournament that Bayern actively vied for. This kind of political support is essential and is helping to make Germany more enticing for gamers and millions of fans,” Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association, said.

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