Central Europe

German games market grows by 17 per cent in 2021

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2022

German games market grows by 17 per cent in 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The German games market has followed up its historic growth spurt in 2020 with yet another year of significant growth: in 2021, approx-imately 9.8 billion euros in revenues were generated from games, charges for online services and games hardware. This is an increase of 17 per cent com-pared to the previous year. Already in 2020, the German games market was able to grow by 32 per cent, which was due in part to the growth in new video game players that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. These are the numbers released today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research companies GfK and data.ai. The demand for games hardware, particularly for games consoles (+23 per cent) and acces-sories for gaming PCs (+22 per cent), as well as in-game and in-app purchases (+30 per cent), was the biggest driver of growth.

According to Felix Falk, Managing Director of game: ‘Following the historic growth spurt in 2020, the German games market continued its strong perfor-mance with significant growth in 2021. This also demonstrates that the people who first took up playing during the lockdowns are still enjoying it. We are partic-ularly delighted by the strong growth in games hardware. No matter whether they are using games consoles or gaming PCs, Germany’s video game players once again invested considerable sums in their equipment to ensure that they would be able to continue enjoying their games in the best possible quality in future. In fact, demand in some cases exceeded supply, meaning that it would have been possible to increase sales revenue by even more.’

Games, games hardware and charges for online services: all three market segments posted growth once again

Sales revenue from purchases of computer and video games grew by 19 per cent to about 5.4 billion euros. So-called in-game and in-app purchases were once again the biggest driver of growth here, with sales revenue increasing by 30 per cent overall to about 4.2 billion euros. This is happening in response to a sustained trend towards free-to-play games, as well as a general increase in the length of time that individual titles are being supported with the frequent addition of new free and charged content. Sales revenue from the once-only purchase of games, on the other hand, fell significantly, by 9 per cent to about 1.1 billion eu-ros. Sales revenue through monthly subscription charges for individual games – a model that is common among online role-playing games – also fell, by 11 per cent to 145 million euros.

Sales revenue from games hardware grew by 18 per cent overall to about 3.6 billion euros. Games consoles are in particular demand: although retailers were often sold out of some models, sales revenue still managed to increase by 23 per cent to 808 million euros. Approximately 1 billion euros were generated from sales of gaming PCs – both desktops and laptops. This is an increase of 10 per cent compared to the previous year. More and more video game players are also investing in accessories to make their experience even better. Demand for graphic cards, keyboards, mice, monitors and VR headsets for gaming is espe-cially strong. Sales revenue from purchases of gaming PC accessories grew by 22 per cent to about 1.5 billion euros. Sales revenue from games console ac-cessories increased by 11 per cent to 306 million euros.

Following a huge 50 per cent leap in growth in 2020, sales revenue generated by online gaming services rose by an additional 4 per cent to 720 million euros in 2021. Gaming subscription services such as the Xbox Game Pass, EA Play and Ubisoft+ made a key contribution to this growth, with their sales revenue increas-ing by 22 per cent to 220 million euros. Cloud gaming services, on the other hand, experienced a decline of 13 per cent to 63 million euros. One of the rea-sons for this is the fact that some cloud gaming functions have been integrated into other services free of charge, meaning that no independent sales revenues are generated for these functions. Sales revenue from online gaming services also fell, by 2 million euros to 437 million euros. These are frequently offered for various games consoles and include – depending on the specific offer – free monthly games, games discounts, the ability to play online, or even cloud stor-age for saved games.

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Central Europe

MightyTips announces collaboration agreement with Merkur Bets

Published

3 days ago

July 24, 2024

George Miller

MightyTips announces collaboration agreement with Merkur Bets

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.”

Central Europe

SYNOT Successfully Entered the Swiss Market with Casino Products

Published

1 week ago

July 19, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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.

Central Europe

OKTO.CASH expands in Germany with bet-at-home go-live

Published

1 week ago

July 17, 2024

George Miller

OKTO.CASH expands in Germany with bet-at-home go-live

Reading Time: 2 minutes

OKTO announced the launch of its advanced cash-to-digital payment solution, OKTO.CASH with bet-at-home, a renowned and established operator in the German iGaming market. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for OKTO, expanding its footprint in Germany and further solidifying its reputation as an innovator in cash-to-digital solutions for iGaming enthusiasts.

OKTO.CASH offers bet-at-home users a hassle-free way to consume iGaming services with cash in real-time. Leveraging OKTO‘s always growing network of over 14,000 points of sale across Germany, including well-known brands such as Aral, Deutsche Post, Esso, Kiosk, Lotto, Shell, and many others, users can effortlessly convert physical cash into digital currency. This streamlined process provides a secure, fast, and easy-to-use top-up method that caters to the preferences of the market.

Richard Greslehner, Head of Product at bet-at-home Internet Ltd commented: “This partnership underscores our dedication to delivering cutting-edge and convenient payment solutions for our customers. With OKTO.CASH, users can now seamlessly deposit their physical cash into their online bet-at-home accounts at their favourite everyday stores.”

“We are thrilled to partner with bet-at-Home for the launch of OKTO.CASH in Germany,” said Mikhail Ovsepyan, Head of Germany at OKTO. “This collaboration underlines our dedication to expanding our presence in the German market and delivering cutting-edge payment solutions that meet the needs of iGaming enthusiasts. We look forward to revolutionizing the gaming payment experience and providing unparalleled convenience and security to users.”

OKTO‘s expansion in the German region follows the approval of both OKTO.WALLET and OKTO.CASH by the German Gaming License Authority (GGL) last year. Embedded into the merchant’s app or website, OKTO.CASH provides users with the fastest and most direct method to upload cash online, eliminating the need for third-party apps. Users can select OKTO.CASH as their payment method, choose the deposit amount, and select the nearest location from over 14,000 points to top up their accounts safely and in real-time.