{"id":77863,"date":"2026-02-25T09:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T08:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sagamedia.de\/?page_id=77863"},"modified":"2026-03-18T10:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:24:56","slug":"the-vending-machine-empire","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sagamedia.de\/en\/productions\/documentary-films\/the-vending-machine-empire\/","title":{"rendered":"THE VENDING MACHINE EMPIRE"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Slot Machine Empire \u2013 North Rhine-Westphalia and Gambling<\/h1>\n

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WDR Heimatflimmern Documentary
First aired on: 06\/03\/2026 at 8:15 p.m. and in the WDR Media Library, 45 min<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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They clatter, they flash, and they promise quick wins: slot machines. No other form of gambling has been so firmly embedded in everyday life in North Rhine-Westphalia for decades. Nearly 40,000 machines stand or hang in the state\u2019s arcades and restaurants. A temptation with the risk of addiction in bars, arcades, and snack bars.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

North Rhine-Westphalia is a stronghold of the slot machine industry with a long history of success. Paul Gauselmann, born in Steinfurt in 1934, worked as a service technician for jukeboxes in his youth, achieved success by improving and refining the machines, and eventually landed a job at a manufacturer in Espelkamp. He then went into business for himself. The slot machines he developed himself became a huge success throughout Germany in the 1970s. Gauselmann turned his one-man operation in East Westphalia into a multi-billion-dollar gaming conglomerate, the Merkur Group.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For Gerda Kolster, a retiree from Dortmund, a visit to the arcade is a daily ritual. Sven Heuvers from Rheine especially loves the old machines. He\u2019s been fascinated by the flashing machines since he was a child. Today, he collects them and plays in his small private arcade. And at Frauke Krater\u2019s Cologne pub, \u201cZum kleinen Gei\u00dfbock,\u201d the machines remain an indispensable part of the experience to this day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The documentary takes viewers on a journey through the world of slot machines in North Rhine-Westphalia. Paul Gauselmann recounts his early days as a machine installer and later as a developer. In the production halls of East Westphalia, state-of-the-art machines featuring the latest games for the global market are being built. But gambling is not without controversy: Professor Gerhard Meyer was one of the first to research its dangers. To this day, the psychologist remains Gauselmann\u2019s biggest critic.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Set against the backdrop of bar counters and factory floors, moments of joy and a grungy image, the film tells the story of a unique North Rhine-Westphalian culture that everyone knows but has never seen quite like this before.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Click here for the program in the WDR MEDIA LIBRARY<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Slot Machine Empire \u2013 North Rhine-Westphalia and GamblingWDR Heimatflimmern DocumentaryFirst aired on: 06\/03\/2026 at 8:15 p.m. and in the WDR Media Library, 45 minThey clatter, they flash, and they promise quick wins: slot machines. No other form of gambling has been so firmly embedded in everyday life in North Rhine-Westphalia for decades. Nearly 40,000 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":77869,"parent":72346,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-77863","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nTHE VENDING MACHINE EMPIRE - sagamedia | Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sagamedia.de\/en\/productions\/documentary-films\/the-vending-machine-empire\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"THE VENDING MACHINE EMPIRE - sagamedia | Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Slot Machine Empire \u2013 North Rhine-Westphalia and GamblingWDR Heimatflimmern DocumentaryFirst aired on: 06\/03\/2026 at 8:15 p.m. and in the WDR Media Library, 45 minThey clatter, they flash, and they promise quick wins: slot machines. 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