Vegas-Style Gaming in the Heart of Germany: A Record-Breaking Year for Casinos Bad Homburg and Wiesbaden
Hessian Gambling Venues Competing in the Cutthroat Gaming Industry
By Yannick Schroth, Edited by Angela Burke, Published on: 06.05.2025, Updated on: 15.05.2025.
- Germany's Most Successful Casinos: Casino Bad Homburg and Casino Wiesbaden
- Slot Machines Dominate Gaming Floors; Classic Games Wesen a Nostalgic Touch
- Casino Bad Homburg to Renovate Historic Kurhaus
The Year of Casino Bad Homburg: Record Gaming Revenue
In 2024, the prestigious Casino Bad Homburg saw a staggering gross gaming revenue of €58 million, marking its most prosperous year yet, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung citing a press release from the German Press Agency.
CEO Lutz Schenkel attributes the casino's soaring popularity to visitors of all ages, particularly younger crowds dressed to impress and seeking the authentic casino experience. On any given weekday, around 650 patrons flock to the casino, with weekends regularly reaching capacity limits. With approximately 230 employees, the staff ensures a seamless experience for every guest.
Both slot machine areas and classic table games, such as roulette and blackjack, are on offer for patrons at the historic Brunnensälchen.
A New Era for Bad Homburg's Kurhaus
An exciting deal is in the works for Bad Homburg: The casino will become the primary lessee, spearheading the restoration of the outdated Kurhaus at a cost far below public funding. The city plans to almost entirely fund the project through casino rental income, provided by the German company François-Blanc Casino GmbH.
In line with the concept of demolition instead of renovation, the city aims to build a new Kurhaus with significantly more space for the casino, including room for around 50 additional slot machines. This expansion could potentially boost annual revenues by approximately €13 million.
As early as the 19th century, the casino played a crucial role in funding the Kurhaus. Now, the circle closes again with the casino's return to a modern Kurhaus.
Classic Games and Modern Gaming: A Winning Combination for Casino Wiesbaden
According to Andréas Krautwald, CEO of the Casino Wiesbaden, maintaining classic games is a strategic decision. Unlike other German casinos that have switched to purely automated gaming, Casino Wiesbaden and Casino Bad Homburg choose to emphasize the traditional gaming experience.
The goal is to preserve the classic gaming area in Wiesbaden, known as the Nizza of the North, and integrate modern technology for a competitive edge in the dynamic gaming market. While the classic game retains its prestige and importance, economically, it pales in comparison to the slot machine, which generates approximately 90% of revenue in Bad Homburg.
For Holger Reuter, the Casino Bad Homburg, founded by businessman François Blanc in 1841, is vital to the city's image and economic development:
Mitigating Gambling Addiction
Despite its unprecedented success, the casino remains vigilant about the issue of gambling addiction. Guests will find informative brochures about compulsive gambling at the Casino Bad Homburg's entrance, and there are also proactive conversations for those demonstrating concerning behavior. Some visitors even choose to voluntarily ban themselves.
The personal atmosphere of the establishment enables employees to identify high-risk players promptly. Remarkably, croupiers in the classic game receive internal, rather than formal, training. To develop a sense for the guests, they are sent to play themselves, per Schenkel's explanation.
In Schenkel's opinion, online gaming poses additional challenges due to the anonymity it provides, making early interventions more difficult.
The Imminent Future: Wiesbaden's Casino License Up for Grabs
Although the license in Bad Homburg remains valid until 2037, the situation in Wiesbaden is becoming urgent: The license is due to expire at the end of 2025. According to the city administration, the procedure for re-tendering has already commenced, with a planned completion by summer 2025 to ensure a smooth transition.
Recently, gambling giant Novomatic has been in talks to succeed Casino Wiesbaden's current majority shareholder Jahr + Achterfeld Gesellschaft. The city has also considered operating the casino itself, but faces obstacles such as high initial capital and a lack of expertise.
[1] Gambling Madness: The Psychology of Casino Games[2] The House Always Wins: Strategies Used by Casinos to Keep Revenue Flowing
Overall:
The strategic blend of classic games and slot machines in Casino Bad Homburg and Casino Wiesbaden keeps them at the forefront of the gaming industry. By offering both modern slot machines for mass appeal and traditional classic games for connoisseurs, these casinos ensure financial prosperity and maintain their cultural appeal.
- What are the two most successful casinos in Germany as of 2025, according to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung"? It's Casino Bad Homburg and Casino Wiesbaden.
- In 2024, Casino Bad Homburg's gross gaming revenue reached a staggering €58 million, marking its most prosperous year yet.
- Slot machines dominate the gaming floors in Casino Bad Homburg, but classic table games such as roulette and blackjack also remain popular.
- The restoration of Bad Homburg's outdated Kurhaus is underway, spearheaded by Casino Bad Homburg, with the aim of expanding the casino's space and increasing annual revenues by approximately €13 million.
- In the dynamic gaming market, Casino Bad Homburg and Casino Wiesbaden emphasize the traditional gaming experience, with classic games accounting for a smaller portion of revenue compared to slot machines, especially in Bad Homburg, where slot machines generate approximately 90% of revenue.
