The Administrative Court of Hannover upheld the legality of Lower Saxony’s casino licence award to Merkur, rejecting an appeal by the previous licence holder. The court backed the state finance ministry’s award process, and Merkur Spielbanken said the licence was in force and it planned to proceed with development in the state.
The ruling clears the way for Merkur Spielbanken to proceed under the upheld casino licence award.
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The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU law does not prevent Member States from prohibiting online casino games and certain betting products, including when operators hold licences in another Member State. The judgment concerned services available in Germany from June 2019 to July 2021 and leaves national courts to decide whether players can recover losses under contracts deemed void.
MERKUR GROUP plans to open the state-concessioned MERKUR SPIELBANK Siegburg on 10 December 2026, with a three-day opening event through 12 December. The company says it is investing more than €35m in the casino, which will have about 250 machines and create around 100 jobs.
MERKUR GROUP plans to open the state-concessioned MERKUR SPIELBANK Siegburg on 10 December 2026, with a three-day opening event running to 12 December. The company said it is investing more than €35m in the venue, its sixth state-concessioned casino in North Rhine-Westphalia. The casino will have about 250 machines of the latest generation alongside classic roulette and card tables, on around 1,600 square metres of gaming floor. MERKUR GROUP said the site will create around 100 jobs across different professions.
Merkur Group said it intends to apply for casino licences in Austria, according to an interview with managers David Schnabel and Max Rösle published on 9 June 2026. Schnabel said the group was prepared to submit an application, while the licence tender had yet to be issued.
Nevada’s Gaming Commission approved Merkur Group’s licence to manufacture and distribute gaming products in the state and its acquisition of Gaming Arts. Merkur said the approvals would enable its return to the North American casino market as a certified manufacturer.
Nevada's Gaming Commission granted Merkur Gaming US a licence to manufacture and distribute gaming products in the state and approved Merkur's acquisition of Gaming Arts LLC. The company said the acquisition was expected to close in early Q3 2025; it had not yet completed.