The first limited payout machine – the South African equivalent of an AWP – manufactured in the country has rolled off the production line in Retreat, Cape Town.
The machine is the result of a joint venture by major local operator Grand Parade Investments and Germany’s Gauselmann Group through its Merkur Gaming subsidiary.
The joint venture was signed a year ago and in the interim there has been a process of regulatory approvals and the search for local content providers. The machine was constructed at the premises of the electronics manufacturer Tellumat in Cape Town.
The two principals in the agreement have formed a new company, Grand Merkur, which is now being licensed as a national manufacturer. GPI has five LPM slot routes in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Eventually the machine manufacturing line will be extended to include casino slots, sports betting terminals and lottery terminals.
