Bruns, who will also join the Gauselmann management board, will assume his new role from 1 April and be tasked with strengthening the group’s land-based and online sports betting offering.
He will also oversee strategic expansion of the virtual slot gaming offering and advancing the internationalisation of sports betting and igaming.
Bruns will take on the new role having served as senior managing director of Gauselmann’s Merkur Casino International subsidiary since February 2017.
He has also been a board coordinator at Gauselmann since March 2014, prior to which he was managing director of automation machinery specialist Harting.
“I would like to express my thanks for the trust placed in me and I look forward to tackling the challenging tasks that lie ahead,” Bruns saud. “The focus will be on the strategic expansion of the online and land-based sports betting offerings as well as on consolidating all worldwide online gaming activities.
“Our goal is to create sustainable structures and products in order to consistently expand our market shares in the sports betting and online gaming markets and to successfully position the Merkur brand for the long term.”
Group founder Paul Gauselmann added: “His experience and expertise are excellent prerequisites for successfully managing the newly created Sports Betting & Online Gaming business segment.
“Sports betting and online gaming are promising prospective markets in which Mr Bruns will further grow and strengthen our business activities. I wish him a lucky hand and every success in carrying out his important and responsible tasks.”
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The new appointment comes as Gauselmann this week also named Irina Ruf as managing director of international for Merkur Casino, replacing Bruns in his previous role.
Ruf has been working for the group for over 15 years, serving in roles within Merkur Casino such as head of business development, head of business development and operations manager and special task operations manager.