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Banijay did not disclose any financial details, except that the acquisition would be supported by funds managed by Blackstone and Kings Park Capital.
Merkur represents the gaming and leisure division of the Gauselmann Group, a historic German family-owned enterprise specialising in gaming machines, software and casino operations across Europe.
Earlier this year Merkur Group agreed to acquire the slots provider White Hat Studios. Merkur said the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, would “further accelerate” its US expansion, complementing its 2025 purchase of the Nevada-licensed supplier Gaming Arts.
About Galactica
The huge structure, measuring nearly 140 feet long and 20 feet tall, was installed Friday, September 18, as part of the second expansion of Station Casinos’ Durango property.
Suffolk Construction, the project’s general contractor, used a crane weighing roughly 650,000 pounds for the lift, with a second crane assisting with the operation.
Durango opened in December 2023 following an impressive $780 million development. The property completed its first $120 million expansion in December 2025, and work on the latest project began in January 2026.
About Galactica
The prospect of international operators snapping up Japan’s coveted IR licences gradually lost its lustre, as the likes of Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Genting Singapore and Caesars Entertainment balked at the demanding regulatory framework, hefty investment requirements and uncertain returns.
Although the late LVS chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson hailed the Japanese market as “a holy grail” and the “ultimate of business opportunities”, the company dropped out of the game, scrapping its pledged $10 billion project.
Japan has drawn on Singapore’s IR development model, which embodies a balancing act between ambitious economic visions and restrictive conditions. But Andrew Klebanow, principal of Klebanow Consulting, believes Japan’s IR regulations swerved “too far into crafting regulations and policies”. Klebanow specialises in hotel-casino market feasibility studies, strategic planning and facility planning recommendations.
