Kling Automaten Gmbh

What Kling Automaten Gmbh does

Kling Automaten GmbH is a third-generation, family-owned German gaming and entertainment company headquartered in Baindt near Ravensburg, operating since 1954. The company runs a diversified portfolio under five brands: Joker Spielhalle (over 170 physical arcade locations across 11 German federal states offering slot machines, entertainment games, and money-prize gaming devices in a modern lounge setting), Joker Gastro (B2B coin-machine placement in 70+ gastronomy venues including restaurants, gas stations, and hotels), Jokerstar (an online gaming hall launched in 2022 under a German Glücksspiellizenz, operating 24/7 as one of the first legal online casinos in Germany), Joker Sportsbar (sports viewing and social entertainment venues), and Kling Immobilien (commission-free commercial and residential property services). The company holds MTIC third-party certification for youth protection and player safety standards, maintains an internal KLING Akademie training program (over 4,900 participants since 2019 across approximately 380 sessions), and operates without external equity funding.

Name

Kling Automaten Gmbh

Legal name

Kling Automaten GmbH

Website

https://kling-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kling Automaten GmbH is a third-generation family-owned German operator of over 170 Joker Spielhallen arcades, 70+ Joker Gastro B2B gaming partners, the Jokerstar online gaming platform, Joker Sportsbar venues, and Kling Immobilien real estate services, serving adult entertainment consumers across 11 federal states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gaming and Entertainment Services

NAICS

Amusement Arcades (713120), Casinos (except Casino Hotels) (713210)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Game Aggregation, Content Distribution & RGS (Remote Game Servers) (MPAEAKAG), Electronic Table Games (ETGs) & Stadium Gaming Terminals (MPAEANAC)

Keywords

• Gaming arcade operations
• Online gambling platform
• Coin gaming machines
• Player protection services
• Commercial real estate

Headquarters

HQ city

Baindt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Joker Spielhallen arcade operations: Revenue from operating physical arcade/game halls with gaming machines, entertainment equipment, and money-prize gaming devices. Operates over 170 Joker Spielhallen locations across Germany.
2. Jokerstar Online Gambling: Online gambling platform offering virtual casino experience, launched in 2022 with German Glücksspiellizenz (gaming license), operating 24/7, 365 days per year.
3. Joker Gastro B2B: B2B revenue from placing gaming machines in gastronomy establishments (restaurants, gas stations, hotels). Partners provide space, Kling provides and operates machines.
4. Kling Immobilien: Real estate services offering commercial, gastronomy, and residential properties commission-free. Property management and tenant services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kling Automaten GmbH operates Joker Spielhallen, a nationwide chain of 170+ physical gaming arcades offering slot machines, money-prize gaming devices, and entertainment games in a modern lounge atmosphere across 11 German federal states. The company also runs Jokerstar, a licensed online gaming platform available 24/7, and Joker Gastro, which places and operates gaming machines in B2B partner venues such as restaurants, gas stations, and hotels. Additional lines include Joker Sportsbar entertainment venues and Kling Immobilien commission-free real estate services.

Product overview

Kling Automaten GmbH is a family-owned entertainment company (in its third generation of leadership) that operates a diversified portfolio of gaming and leisure brands. The core business consists of Joker Spielhallen (170+ physical gaming halls across Germany) and Joker Gastro (coin gaming services for the gastronomy sector). The company expanded into digital entertainment with Jokerstar (a licensed online gaming hall launched in 2022), and also operates Joker Sportsbar (sports viewing venues) and Kling Immobilien (real estate services for commercial and residential properties). Supporting services include player protection, prevention programs, and responsible gambling initiatives. All brands are managed centrally from the headquarters in Baindt near Ravensburg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Joker Spielhalle: Bundesweites Netzwerk von über 170 Spielhallen mit modernem und hochwertigem Ambiente.
• Joker Gastro
• Jokerstar
• Joker Sportsbar
• Kling Immobilien

Products and services

• Joker Spielhallen Network of over 170 physical gaming arcades across 11 German federal states offering slot machines, money-prize gaming devices, and entertainment games in a modern, lounge-style setting for adult entertainment consumers.
• Joker Gastro (formerly MSP Kling) B2B coin-gaming service placing and operating money-prize, entertainment, and sports gaming machines in partner gastronomy venues such as restaurants, gas stations, and hotels; Kling provides equipment, installation, and maintenance while the partner provides space.
• Jokerstar (Online Spielhalle) Licensed online gaming platform offering digital versions of the Joker Spielhallen experience; operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with a German gambling license.
• Joker Sportsbar Sports viewing and social entertainment venue offering sports broadcasts and casual social gathering space; home to the local dart team in Erbach.
• Kling Immobilien Commission-free real estate services offering commercial, gastronomy, and residential properties across Germany, including property management and tenant services.

Quantifiable outcome

• MTIC-certified quality standards confirmed by independent third-party auditors for youth protection and player safety
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bally Wulff Entertainment: Berlin-based gaming machine manufacturer and operator with German arcades and gastronomy machine placements. Comparable mid-sized player focused on German-regulated market with B2B and venue operations similar to Kling.
• Löwen Entertainment: German gaming machine manufacturer and operator with WILD brand arcades nationwide. Comparable to Kling across gaming halls, B2B machine placement in gastronomy, and compliance-driven German market focus.
• Merkur Group (subsidiary brand under Gauselmann): Merkur Spielhalle arcades operate physical gaming halls across Germany with similar lounge-format venues and money-prize machines. Direct format competitor to Joker Spielhallen in the same German amusement arcade category.
• Gauselmann Group: Germany's largest privately-held gaming machine and arcade operator (Merkur brand), running thousands of gaming venues and B2B machine placements. Closest direct competitor to Kling given overlapping physical arcade footprint, B2B gastro machine business, and family-owned structure.
• Tipico Group: German-licensed online sports betting and casino operator. Direct competitor to Jokerstar in the German regulated online gambling market, with significantly larger marketing scale and digital-native customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Novomatic Group: Austrian gaming giant operating arcades, casinos, and online gaming platforms across Europe. Broader geographic and product footprint than Kling but overlapping in gaming halls, online casino, and B2B machine supply.
• Spielbanken Sachsen-Anhalt / state casino operators: German state-owned land-based casino operators (e.g., Spielbanken Sachsen-Anhalt, Westspiel). Comparable to Kling's physical gaming operations in Germany but operate regulated table-game casinos rather than amusement arcades with money-prize machines.

Emerging players

• Bet-at-home: German-facing online sports betting and casino operator with German Glücksspiellizenz. Comparable to Jokerstar in regulated online gambling but focused on sports betting rather than casino-style slot games.

Others

• Casino Monaco / Casino Aachen: German land-based casino operators with broader gaming portfolios including slots. Indirect comparable in the German regulated physical gaming market, though operating table-game casinos rather than amusement arcades.
• Spielerschutz协会 / Greo (player protection): Adjacent ecosystem player in German responsible-gambling infrastructure that Kling engages with for compliance. Not a competitor but a meaningful comparable because both operate within the same German player-protection regulatory framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jokerstar.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kling-automaten-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kling Automaten Gmbh