Who will take over the Wiesbaden casino?

The traditional Wiesbaden casino needs a new operator. In February 2025, the city of Wiesbaden will publish a corresponding invitation to tender. The winner of the tender will then be allowed to operate the popular location for the next 15 years. However, there is already a favorite that will most likely operate the casino in the future. But of course the competition never sleeps.

Spielbank Wiesbaden has been operated by Spielbank Wiesbaden GmbH & Co. KG since 2009. However, the 15-year concession expires at the end of this year, meaning that a new tendering process will have to take place. The city of Wiesbaden is expected to publish the corresponding invitation to tender this month. The Austrian company Novomatic AG is considered to have the best chances. The billion-dollar gambling group already has a stake in the current operating company. Back in December 2023, we reported on GambleJoe that competitor Gauselmann had taken over ten casinos in Lower Saxony.

There have been various investments in the past

Over the past few years, various companies have held different stakes in Spielbank Wiesbaden GmbH & Co. For example, Munich restaurateur Gerd Käfer and Hamburg publisher John Jahr held stakes in Spielbank Wiesbaden from 2009. After Käfer withdrew from the casino in 2017, the Kuffler Group stepped in. However, around three years later, the Kuffler Group also withdrew from the casino, leaving publisher Jahr on his own. A short time later, however, the Austrian-based Novomatic AG acquired a one-third stake in the operating company.

Who will operate the Wiesbaden casino from 2026?

The current concession expires at the end of December this year. Legislation stipulates that concessions must be re-awarded after 15 years at the latest. The Europe-wide award procedure is set to start in February 2025 and a decision is expected to be made by September, guaranteeing a seamless process with a corresponding lead time.

According to current rumors, it is likely that Novomatic AG will reapply for the concession together with the current operating company. After all, the company already has a one-third stake in the operating company and is to provide the location with technical equipment, among other things. However, there are also likely to be other interested parties, as the Wiesbaden casino is an extremely attractive gaming venue. More specifically, the casino is one of the five casinos with the highest turnover in Germany.

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The city of Wiesbaden could theoretically also operate the casino on its own. This is the case in Bad Homburg, for example. However, Christiane Hinninger, the responsible head of the economic affairs department, has already announced that the city has no interest in this and is therefore resorting to the award procedure. Nevertheless, the casino is a very good source of income for the city of Wiesbaden. The city treasury is said to receive around five million euros per year from the Wiesbaden casino alone via the casino tax. The Bad Wiessee casino also recently achieved a turnover in the double-digit millions, providing the city treasury with good income.

Conclusion

If the current operating company is awarded the contract for the continued operation of the Wiesbaden casino, it can be assumed that Novomatic AG will increase its influence and buy up the shares of publisher John Jahr, at least in the medium term. However, it is also not unlikely that this profitable location will attract other interested parties to apply for the concession. It will therefore be interesting to see which company will ultimately take over the operation of the Wiesbaden casino from 2026.

Source of the image: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/kurhaus-blaue-stunde-weiches-wasser-4166247/