Gaming operator pilots charity initiative

The Merkur UK Initiative, which has been created by the gaming operator to recognise smaller community-based charities, is being trialled across 10 high street venues.

The experience gained from the pilot will be fed back into a phased national roll-out which will follow almost immediately. Lola Wood, Merkur UK’s customer experience manager, believes both the Merkur Slots and Merkur Bingo brands play a key role in their communities.

She stated: “Most people will immediately associate bingo clubs with the term ‘community’ but the same also applies to our 180 high street entertainment venues located in towns and cities throughout Great Britain.

“These are the places where friends meet and socialise in safe and familiar surroundings and where the staff will greet them by their first name.

“Merkur Initiative builds on the profound connections that exist between venue and community by identifying those local ‘not for profit’ groups that quite frequently go unnoticed but quietly get on doing outstanding work in the community.

“Merkur Initiative will draw on the insight and local knowledge of staff who are being asked to nominate the good causes they want to support. Money raised through the venues will then be pooled nationally with head office contributing to the final donation.”