Rat Riches

About Rat Riches

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.  

Framing the acquisition as the latest step in the company’s online expansion, Merkur supervisory board Chairman Michael Gauselmann stated: “Having made early inroads into the online space in Europe via our Blueprint acquisition in 2012, I am delighted by this latest development and am confident that White Hat Studios will be a great addition to our group.” 

What is Rat Riches?

“Joining OpenBet gives us the opportunity to build on that foundation as part of one of the world’s leading sportsbook businesses. For our customers, it brings the additional scale, capabilities and product portfolio of OpenBet, while maintaining the specialist knowledge and continuity they value today.”

Last year, OpenBet completed its management buyout in a $450 million deal that saw CEO Jordan Levin and other senior executives take control over the platform business from Endeavor. 

“As this new chapter begins, OpenBet is better positioned than ever to drive market expansion and product innovation while defining the future of betting and gaming entertainment,” Levin said at the time.

What is Rat Riches?

Despite those warnings, the tribe opened its “Preview Casino” on July 24, offering Class II gaming out of modular structures.

Six days later, Interior determined that the land did not qualify for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), forcing the tribe to shutter the operation and take the federal government back to court.

The arguments came as Scotts Valley asked US District Judge Trevor McFadden to issue a preliminary injunction blocking Interior’s July 30 decision. The outcome of the dispute directly threatens the tribe’s much larger ambition for the site: a proposed $700 million casino resort and hotel.