Tributes have been paid across the international gaming industry following the death of Merkur Group founder Paul Gauselmann, who died on 21 August at the age of 91, shortly before his 92nd birthday.
Gauselmann spent 67 years building and leading the business that became Merkur Group, transforming an operation that began as a one-man enterprise into an international gaming company employing more than 15,000 people and generating annual turnover of about €2.1 billion.
Born in Germany in 1934, Gauselmann entered the amusement and gaming sector during the post-war period and opened his first gaming arcade in 1974. His business interests later expanded across gaming machines, arcades and other parts of the international gambling market.
He remained closely involved with Merkur for decades and continued visiting its offices even after leaving the company’s top management in 2024. Leadership of the family business subsequently passed to the next generation, while Gauselmann continued to take an interest in its daily operations.
Merkur Group described its founder as an ambitious entrepreneur whose vision shaped both the company and Germany’s gaming-machine industry. Gauselmann also spent decades representing the wider sector, including 28 years as chairman of the Association of the German Vending Machine Industry.
Industry figures also highlighted his influence beyond Merkur. WorldGaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter credited Gauselmann with making a lasting contribution to international gaming and noted his long-standing support for ICE, including during the exhibition’s move from London to Barcelona in 2025. Gaming supplier IGT separately recognised his entrepreneurial influence and role in the industry’s development.
InterGame also remembered Gauselmann as a self-made businessman who remained closely connected to employees well into later life and maintained a hands-on interest in the standards and direction of the company he created.
His contribution extended beyond business. Gauselmann supported social welfare, culture, healthcare and sports projects, particularly around Merkur’s home region in Germany. He received the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class, in 2003 and was made an honorary citizen of both Espelkamp and Lübbecke the following year.
A memorial has since been established beside the Paul Gauselmann statue at Benkhausen Castle, Merkur Group’s training centre, while a condolence book has been opened there for people wishing to pay their respects.
Gauselmann is survived by his wife Karin, four sons, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.