Merkur Gaming

VIDEO SLOTS

Merkur Gaming has over 175 slots which are part of the real bread-and-butter of the parent company. These games are based on a wide range of themes, features, paylines, payouts, volatilities, special symbols, and more and have helped Merkur Gaming become a big name in online slots.

Fortunately, Merkur shows no signs of slowing down with frequent releases. Interestingly, Merkur Gaming slots can often be identified based on their appearance as they share distinctive attributes. They also tend to be higher variance slots meaning Merkur Gaming is one of the better software developers producing casino slots with video slots in particular.

You may have also heard of Blueprint Gaming Ltd, a UK subsidiary of Gauselmann Group. Blueprint specializes in bonus games linked to a progressive jackpot with a wide game library and exciting game features.

MOST POPULAR MERKUR GAMING SLOTS

Although deciding on the best slots from the developer is very difficult, we’ve chosen our top 5 Merkur slots based on popularity. See how many you agree with.

221B BAKER STREET

On February 3, 2017, Merkur announced the release of 221B Baker Street, based on the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes. While Sherlock Holmes themes are not exactly original, they’re not exactly common either — particularly from the perspective of a pistol duel.

This Merkur slot has variable paylines of 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20. The artwork is another distinctive attribute, using colorful, cartoon-style symbols.

You’ll find a wild & scatter-pays symbol, the ‘Duel Bonus,’ and free games with a multiplier. Lastly, the video slot has a ladder gamble and card color gamble, activated by a winning round. Checking the slot out when you can is ‘Elementary,’

EYE OF HORUS

Eye of Horus is a title released in 2016 by Merkur based on the ancient Egyptian falcon-headed god of the sky. Horus plays the role of an expanded wild who subs for any symbol except an ‘Eye of Horus’ scatter. This is a comparatively simple yet effectively-illustrated slot with variable paylines of 1-10.

Undoubtedly, the 12 free spins feature contributes much to the game’s success. While active, Horus upgrades the ‘tablet’ (regular) symbols, involving some entertaining and memorable animation. Finally, you have the option of a classic ladder or card gamble feature.

MAGIC MIRROR DELUXE II

Merkur released its slot sequel Magic Mirror Deluxe II, in January 2017, following the original’s success back in 2012. The 1st installment was designed for land-based machines primarily found in Germany. Therefore, Magic Mirror Deluxe II may offer somewhat of a nostalgia factor for some. It’s particularly true if you consider the artwork and sound effects.

Depending on the online casino, the medieval fantasy-themed slot comes with 10 or 20 paylines. Features include a magic mirror wild, a scatter-pays symbol, 10 free spins with a randomly-selected expanding symbol, and a gamble feature.

FLAMES OF EGYPT

Flames of Egypt takes you back thousands of years to the time of an Egyptian queen. This is another high volatility slot where you must overcome the deadly Egyptian desert in search of a scarab.

This 20 paylines slot features a Queen wild symbol with a multiplier of up to 16x. When 3 scarabs (scatter symbols) hit the reels simultaneously, 10 free spins with the ‘superspin’ feature are triggered. Here winning symbols remain locked in position while the others respin. Identical symbols to the winning symbol lock in position and award a further respin, continuing until no new identical symbols appear.

FISHIN’ FRENZY

What avid fan of sports fishing wouldn’t enjoy Fishin’ Frenzy from Merkur Gaming? This charming low-medium volatility 5×3 (reels x rows) video slot is the catch of the day. Using cartoonish artwork, the symbols include fish, a stork, a fly reel, a tackle box, a life preserver, and 5 of your trusty royals.

You can unlock up to 20 free games with 5 scatters illustrated as a fishing boat. During this feature, each fisherman that appears captures the prize tags attached to fish in the playing area. You’ve also got a wild symbol, presented as a fisherman. Fish’n Frenzy is definitely a great catch in our books!

TABLE GAMES

Although Merkur is almost exclusively focused on slot games with most casino operators only choosing to use their slot games, it does have a limited number of other games such as roulette table games worth checking out: Classic Roulette, Roulette, Merkur Roulette, and Bahama Roulette.

This is where the Merkur casino software comes to an end however as there aren’t a large amount of casino classics such as lottery style games available, nor anything new like progressive jackpots on offer.

HISTORY OF MERKUR GAMING

In 1957, German Paul Gauselmann invented a remote selection box using a telephone dial. He would patent this invention, and subsequently, the Gauselmann Group was born. In the following years, he would file over 300 patents.

In 1964, over 300 slot machines were installed in German restaurants and pubs. By 1974, Paul would invent the modern arcade and opened his 1st branch in Lower Saxony (Delmonhorst). The smiling sun logo that we recognize today to symbolize the company was created in 1976. That particular calendar year also happened to be a Mercury year based on a hundred-year calendar. In the following year, Gauselmann Group founded a production site in Lübbecke, where its 1st slot machine was built.

Fast forward to 1983, when the company began producing ‘Merkur Disc’ instead of reels, which sold 40,000 units. The company never looked back as this product remains the top-selling AWP (amusement with price machines), capturing a 50+% market share. This success emboldened the company to diversify to international markets, beginning with Amsterdam.

As it continued to expand, Gauselmann Group’s Atronic subsidiary became the 1st and only European company to be granted a manufacturing license within Nevada In 1998. By June of the following year, its new Sphinx slot machine was installed in roughly 100 Nevada casinos. In 2004, Atronic sold a strategic stake of 50% to GTECH before disposing of the remaining 50% in 2008.

In 2005, Gauselmann took a controlling interest in Cashpoint, an Austrian betting specialist, pushing into sports betting. Merkur Gaming GmbH was created that same year through a merger of Stella International Spielgeräte GmbH and MEXIM GmbH & Co. KG. Three years later, Gauselmann took a stake in Blueprint Gaming Limited in 2008.

By 2009, Merkur held several licenses for the UK market, the 2nd largest market for the company behind Germany. Merkur solidified its commitments to the UK by taking over the British arcade chain Praesepe in 2012, marking its largest acquisition in company history.

Merkur Slots UK Limited continues to grow by adding new 24-hour adult gaming arcades. New ones continue to crop up in places like Worchester, Huntingdon, and Taunton. In 2009, Gauselmann Group also purchased the remaining stake in Blueprint Gaming that it did not already own, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Merkur Gaming Americas was formed in 2015 with headquartered in Miami, Florida. In 2016, Las Vegas-based Sunshine Games Studios became its subsidiary. Located just off the Strip, It was designed to cater to American preferences, which differed from Europeans. In fact, its internal mantra remains, ‘Designed in America, by Americans for Americans.’

The studio presented its 1st 2 slots at the Las Vegas industry fair In 2017: Taco Tuesday and Amulet of the Pharaoh. Earlier that year, Merkur Gaming had become a National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) member, solidifying its relationship among select US tribal casinos.

Over the last few years, Merkur has continued to expand into South America, including Mexico, Peru, Columbia, and elsewhere. 2020 was a particularly significant year for Merkur Gaming, seeing Merkur slots launch in the important UK market.