Nordic gaming operator Paf is tripling its maritime domain with a purchase—from 26 ships to about 80, and from several hundred gaming machines to 1500. According to the PASA official website, the acquisition is of the Swedish family business Bell Casino AB, a company that has been operating gaming entertainment on Baltic ferries since 1973. The transaction is scheduled to be completed on June 1.
From 26 to 80 ships, 1500 gaming machines + 450 arcade games, scale-driven modernization investment
Paf currently operates gaming facilities on 26 ships, mainly in the Baltic and North Sea regions. After acquiring Bell Casino—which provides gaming entertainment on about 50 ferries—Paf's fleet operation will jump to about 80 ships, deploying about 1500 gaming machines and 450 arcade games. Routes extend from Sweden to Germany, Poland, Baltic states, the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Paf Land & Ship department COO Lasse Danielsson directly points to the core logic of the acquisition: "This takeover creates scale advantages, providing us with a better foundation for modernization investments and new technology deployment—setting the right starting point for future continuous investment and growth." CEO Christer Fahlstedt defines this acquisition as "strategically significant for the Land & Ship business, creating the right conditions for long-term operational development."
Bell Casino retains brand + 28 employees, founder's son continues as CEO
Paf confirms that Bell Casino will continue to operate under its existing brand and business model, with all 28 employees retained. Founder Morgan Eliasson will stay on as a senior advisor, and his son Marcus Eliasson will continue as CEO. Morgan expresses his sentimental feelings about the handover: "Handing over a company that has been involved in from the beginning naturally brings a sense of nostalgia. But with Bell becoming part of the Paf group, I feel secure and confident about the future." Danielsson emphasizes the complementarity between Bell and Paf—the business "expands geographically and commercially at the same time," extending Paf's domain from the Baltic and North Seas to Western Europe and the UK, complementing Bell's route network coverage.
Annual loss limit €15,000, responsible gaming first before expansion
It is interesting to note the relationship between the pace of expansion and the commitment to responsible gaming. This year, Paf has lowered the annual player loss limit to **€15,000**—down from last year's €16,000, and just half of the €30,000 limit in 2018. The company also pledges to eliminate revenue from "high-intensity" players (annual losses between €15,000 and €30,000). In other words, Paf is cutting off a portion of its high-revenue customer group before expanding through acquisition—first tightening responsibility boundaries, then compensating with scale. Paf positions this acquisition as "a long-term strategic investment focused on expanding ship operations," independent of consumer-facing online gaming growth plans. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader," a gaming industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Gaming original in-depth channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
