Exclusive: MPs and campaigners condemn ‘appalling’ reward scheme for Merkur venue managers
High street slot machine shops are paying their staff bonuses linked to how much gamblers lose, the Guardian has learned, prompting condemnation of the “appalling” reward scheme from MPs and campaigners.
A network of 1,451 “adult gaming centres” (AGCs), most of which are open 24 hours a day, has spread through the UK in recent years, concentrated in the most economically deprived areas.
Amid booming revenues, the German-owned Merkur posted a £15m profit for 2024, while Admiral Slots paid its Austrian owner a £10m dividend last year, according to accounts posted at Companies House this week.
It can now be revealed that the growth of at least one of the sector’s leading players has been partly fuelled by incentive schemes that unlock bonuses in return for hitting key targets. At Merkur, these targets include revenues from punters’ losses on highly addictive slot machines.
