High street slot machine shops pay staff bonuses linked to how much gamblers lose

"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. For venue managers at Merkur, the majority of the bonus worth up to 80% of annual salary is linked to controllable profit, according to one internal document setting out the scheme's structure. This measure is partly determined by outgoings on wages and smaller items designed to keep customers playing, such as complimentary food, drinks and cash giveaways. But the first item on the list of factors contributing to controllable profit is net revenues."

"In effect, this means takings from the shops' slot machines, which offer stakes of 2 every 1.5 seconds, for a maximum jackpot of 500. The machines have been linked in successive studies to higher rates of addiction than most other gambling formats."

"Jackie Olden had campaigned for tougher regulations on AGCs, after her late mother, who was terminally ill, lost thousands of pounds at a branch of Merkur in Stockport. The company was fined nearly 100,000 earlier this year for social responsibility failings, after reporting by the Guar"

A network of 1,451 adult gaming centres operates across the UK, with most open 24 hours and concentrated in economically deprived areas. German-owned Merkur posted a 15m profit for 2024 and Admiral Slots paid a 10m dividend last year. Merkur ties venue manager bonuses—worth up to 80% of annual salary—to controllable profit, with net revenues from slot machine takings the primary factor. The slot machines permit stakes of 2 every 1.5 seconds and a maximum jackpot of 500, formats linked to higher addiction rates. Families reported large losses and Merkur faced nearly 100,000 in fines for social responsibility failings.

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