Central Europe
MightyTips announces collaboration agreement with Merkur Bets
MightyTips has announced a brand-new partnership with Merkur Bets targeting German-speaking bettors across Germany.
The move aims to expand the customer base for Merkur Bets, which is striving to build its position as a leading player in several Central European countries.
The exclusive partnership with the MightyTips platform – a tips and predictions hub – is hoped to boost acquisition rates in the region ahead of what is likely to be a busy conclusion to the summer.
The Olympics, the new Bundesliga and Premier League season, and other major sporting events are to take centre stage, with more people than ever engaging with sports betting.
After ten years of operating as XTiP, a recent rebranding means it is now known as Merkur Bets. The sports betting experience has been modernised, as the website now provides an updated design, faster loading times, and enhanced user-friendly navigation.
The change was announced by operators Merkur Group earlier in the year and included a fresh logo and redesigned aesthetics across both its online and physical outlets.
Stefan Bruns, CEO of Online Gambling and Sports Betting at Merkur Group, cited it as a new beginning for the company: “The renaming of XTiP to Merkur Bets is not only a new beginning, it also offers the opportunity to establish a completely renewed approach to sports betting within the Merkur Group.”
Since 2013, Merkur Group has been one of the leading operators in Germany. Its origins stretch back to 1957, when it was founded as a family-owned business by Paul Gauselmann.
Eugene Ravdin, MightyTips Communications and Marketing Manager said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Merkur Bets. They are one of the biggest betting companies in Europe and our services can further solidify their reputation as a leading player in this sector.”
Martin Collins, Head of Affiliates at Merkur Group added: “We are very pleased to continue our work with the MightyTips team. Both sides bring great knowledge to the table for our core markets, and we look forward to a long-term beneficial partnership.”
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Central Europe
Buying Games as Downloads is More Popular Than Ever in Germany
The share of PC and console games purchased as downloads in Germany climbed to 60% for the first time in 2023, meaning that download purchases have remained at the same high level they reached during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Back then, the share of downloads jumped from 45 to 58%. These figures were published by game – The German Games Industry Association, in cooperation with market research company CPS GfK. A closer look at the individual gaming platforms, though, shows there are huge differences between them. Download purchases are most popular among PC players; these days, they buy nearly all of their games – 98% – as downloads. Last year, that figure was already 97%. Consoles are a different story, though. Most console players prefer to buy games on physical media. The majority of console games – 60% – are still purchased as physical media, even though that figure has dropped by 3% points compared to last year.
The way in which video game players purchase games is also a question of age. The younger generation of players in Germany overwhelmingly opt for downloads. And this trend is particularly strong among players between the ages of 20 and 29: they buy more than 7 out of 10 PC or console games (71%) in this format. But these days, growing numbers of older players are starting to prefer downloads, as well. Among 50- to 59-year-olds, approximately 6 out of 10 games (59%) are purchased as downloads; last year, this group bought about 53% of their games on physical media. Physical copies are most popular among the over-60s. In 2023, they bought more than half their games (53%) on physical media. However, this figure also represented a decline of 12% points in sales of physical media among this group.
“We’re seeing a clear trend: downloads are becoming an established way of buying games, and their share of the games market is continually increasing, even though that growth has slowed a bit since the pandemic. For many people, downloads are a quick and convenient way to buy games. Last year, a number of big blockbuster games, like ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ and ‘Alan Wake II’, were initially released as digital exclusives. Plenty of successful indie games have been download-only for ages, as well. All these factors have given the popularity of downloads a massive boost. But how games are purchased still varies according to the age of the player and the type of platform. Video game players primarily buy their console games on physical media, to get the limited editions and fan merchandise that come with them, or to ensure that they always have a copy of the game in their collection,” Felix Falk, Managing Director of game, said.
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Central Europe
Slower workforce growth and fewer new companies: the upward trend in the German games industry is weakening
The post Slower workforce growth and fewer new companies: the upward trend in the German games industry is weakening appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Central Europe
SYNOT Successfully Entered the Swiss Market with Casino Products
SYNOT, a leading provider of gaming systems and casino equipment, has entered the Swiss market with the installation of its products at Casino Admiral Mendrisio.
The first installation included a set of Eclipse FL-32 cabinets with the latest version of the Firebird Red gaming system. This version offers a range of original games including 6 Hold & Respin titles and over 40 classic games. Shortly after the successful first installation, the company also launched Firebird slots at the St. Gallen Casino.
“The Swiss market is one of the most lucrative casino markets in Europe and therefore we consider this launch a great success. The market is highly regulated and competitive. In addition, operating gaming equipment in this country requires GLI-11 certification, including the appropriate certification transfer for the Swiss market. Of course, our company meets all these requirements,” Miroslav Valenta Jr., Sales Director of the SYNOT Group, said.
SYNOT already operates online slots in the Swiss market in cooperation with several operators. Now these popular games will also be available in land-based casinos, specifically in the Firebird Red gaming system. With this step, SYNOT continues its omni-channel strategy, which includes both online and land-based sectors.
“We have high ambitions. Our goal is to gradually bring our products to all casinos in Switzerland. We are seeing an active interest in our products, which we are very pleased about. We also have strong support from our distributor. We are cooperating with our exclusive distributor for Germany and Switzerland – the company E-Systems,” added Miroslav Valenta Jr.
“After many positive feedbacks from German casinos throughout the past years, it soon became our combined goal to also enter the competitive Swiss market, which we have successfully achieved now! Many thanks go to our long-term partner Casinò Admiral Mendrisio, who acted quickly and therefore was able to celebrate the debut of SYNOT’s great cabinets & games in all of Switzerland. We’re looking forward to many more launches in other Swiss casinos in the near future and we’re confident that SYNOT will become an inherent part of the Swiss market product mix,” Thomas Steuer, Sales Director of E-Systems, said.
The post SYNOT Successfully Entered the Swiss Market with Casino Products appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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