© Spielbank SH
Interview with Rainer Schepull, Managing Director Spielbank SH – Host City Presenting Partner
“Here in the north, it’s the word and the handshake that counts.”
We spoke to Rainer Schepull about his passion for the north and Spielbank SH's commitment to The Ocean Race Europe, about safety on board and in the casino, about "winning moments" on land and at sea ... and about what he sometimes brings back up north from Düsseldorf.
Rainer Schepull
Managing Director Spielbank SH GmbH
Spielbank SH sponsors the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, who recently won 44:7 against the Düsseldorf Panthers. The slogan "This is how the north plays" appeared under the Spielbank's social media post. Let's be honest: what does that mean for someone who has his second centre of life in Düsseldorf?
Rainer Schepull: It doesn't make my heart bleed, because I'm very fond of the Baltic Hurricanes, who remain so stoically loyal to this sport. The league is often up and down, but it is very continuous and successful. What makes my heart skip a beat every time is that we make a donation of 150 euros to the Kiel initiative against child poverty Inka* for every Canes touchdown as part of our commitment ..
... whose patron is the Lord Mayor of Kiel, Ulf Kämpfer ...
... exactly. This year, we will collect 7,950 euros in donations in this way, which were ultimately raised by the Canes team. We came up with the idea together with the first chairman of the initiative, Jürgen Fenske - motto: "Strong men for small children". We are very happy to support this.
This motto also suits us, because what we offer here in Schleswig-Holstein differs from the classic casino concept you might recognise from Las Vegas or other casinos in Germany. And last but not least, "This is how the north plays" is of course also a self-confident commitment to Schleswig-Holstein. As a state-owned company, we are not only tied to this federal state, but above all we are happy to be part of this Nordic attitude.
“I like the commitment that prevails here in the north. I value this reliability personally, but especially in a business environment, of course.”
Rainer Schepull
The North German way naturally has something very special about it. The Rhinelanders say: "whatever will be, will be..." In the north, we say calmly: "Jo ... let's see." Is there anything that you have taken from this northern German way of doing things for the company?
Yes, absolutely. I like the commitment that prevails here in the north. Here the word counts, here the handshake counts. I value this reliability personally, but especially in a business environment, of course. On the other hand, you get to know each other more quickly in the Rhineland. This culture of simply sitting down at a table in a restaurant and socialising with complete strangers very quickly. That's simply because there are often benches in the Rhineland, whereas here it's individual tables. I can't just sit down at a full table (laughs).
This Rhineland beer bar culture is not so widespread here, but I still feel just as comfortable here. Especially in Kiel, I really appreciate the size of the city. There are many occasions where I meet the same people again and again. In the last three years that I've been here, it's always been relaxed occasions for me, because I know more and more people. This naturally allows the network to grow much faster and you also come into contact with national politics much more quickly, especially with our regulatory mandate. It's much easier for me to get in touch with decision-makers and in discussion groups that you wouldn't otherwise have so quickly in the Rhineland.
© Spielbank SH
Spielbank SH presents Ocean Dome – 360° cinema experience all about sailing and marine conservation, curated by the Cinemare Filmfestival
Your roots are in Düsseldorf and your professional background is in banking, more specifically at WestLB. While banking tends to focus on a long-term strategy, the casino is all about creating a special moment. How can these two attitudes be reconciled?
Of course, the average banker has a different idea of this topic. Money is not a game of chance there, but ultimately behind the organisation of this happiness that guests experience is a highly professional operational business that ensures that these moments of happiness can take place. It is a meticulously planned and organised process that ensures that the game is safe, runs smoothly and that these moments are actually left to chance. The organisation in the cashier area is also not dissimilar to the way a bank works. We have some cashiers who are actually trained in banking. And then, of course, there are similar processes in the areas of compliance and the creation of other regulations such as documentation and supervisory duties. I find this tension between meticulous planning in the background and the entertainment factor that our guests can experience very exciting. While the guest finds it easy and playful, the croupier calculates in the background what payout he has to make and how much - all with a smile. Our employees work with a high level of concentration for 45 minutes and then have a 15-minute break to clear their heads. We don't have a “croupier school”, our employees are always trained by us from generation to generation. They are, of course, the figurehead for our gaming operations.
“It's about those great moments that you experience as winning. That brings us very close to this race.”
Rainer Schepull
As the presenting partner of the Ocean Race Europe, Spielbank SH is appearing in all activities with the motto "Winning Moments". That sounds like it's not just about winning, but also about the fact that - as in sailing - the journey is the destination: those magical moments at sea. Do you actually have a personal connection to sailing?
Apart from the star sign Pisces, which brings me very close to the water, I am generally a passionate water sports enthusiast. I don't have a sailing licence, but I do have a windsurfing licence from the 1980s. When the topic came up in Germany back then, I bought my first surfboard with my confirmation money.
For me, the topic of water sports here in the north is naturally very obvious from a business perspective. As the managing director of four locations, three of which - Kiel, Flensburg and Lübeck - are located directly on the water, it is important to me that we have a healthy marine culture in the long term. In this respect, it is almost inevitable that we contribute to ensuring that the coasts and seas remain a healthy habitat and an attractive holiday destination. For me, carefree fun and games are just as much a part of a holiday as water sports, restaurants and other entertainment options that holidaymakers enjoy.
The Ocean Race also has a close connection to marine conservation. Spielbank SH has brought this to life for thousands of people in the Ocean Life Park, including with the Ocean Dome, a 360° cinema curated by the Cinemare Filmfestival. Unfortunately, the oceans are not currently "winners".
During the planning phase, we also asked ourselves how we could bridge the gap. The Ocean Race has also asked itself this question: On the one hand, it is the absolute Champions League, the Formula 1 of sailing, and on the other hand, the measuring instruments that the boats have on board are used to build bridges for the benefit of marine conservation by collecting data in the oceans worldwide. Nevertheless, this element of sporting excitement remains, of course, because it is still a race. It's about who finishes first. It is also this thrill that the organiser wants to offer at this event. At the start here in Kiel, we saw how quickly a manoeuvre can mean that you might not even make it to the finish line - and everyone was rooting for the Holcim and Allagrande teams.
I have moments of happiness when I cross the finish line first, but of course all the other teams feel that just taking part in this world-famous race is something very special. This is exactly where I see many exciting analogies to us: everyone who takes part can experience great "winning moments". Not everyone can win here either, but that's not what it's all about. It's about those great moments that you experience as winning. That brings us very close to this race.
A wide variety of people go to the casino, but the place creates a peculiar sense of community. It's similar on board the racing yachts, where a close-knit team is also created. How do your employees experience these different guests?
We had around 280,000 guests at our four locations in 2024. It's not as if they are all local residents. Many of them are on holiday. In Kiel in particular, we have many cruisers who use their stopover here to visit us. So we regularly have visitors from all over the world, but our employees also come from very different backgrounds. I think the latest count is that they come from 37 different countries around the world. We are very diverse and it is not unlikely that you will meet employees who speak an exotic national language. Of course, this can be particularly helpful when explaining games.
“The paths are open here, and I am delighted that so many of our employees have been with us for such a long time, because this naturally also means continuity for our guests.”
Rainer Schepull
It's like the teams in the Ocean Race: here, too, increasing attention is being paid to diversity. Sailing is a very physical experience, but casinos are facing competition from virtual online gaming. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly accelerated this development. If it's so comfortable at home, why should I go to the casino?
This affects our basic understanding of how we deal with terrestrial gambling. We act in accordance with the State Treaty on Gambling for the regulation of the casino sector. In Germany, we offer a reputable and limited range of games, which is regionally limited to our four centres in Schleswig-Holstein. The issue of gambling should not be left to market forces, as there can of course be negative side effects that need to be controlled. In this respect, we do not view the development of online gambling favourably. We invest a lot of time and money in training our employees. They are trained and certified accordingly by the State Centre for Addiction Issues. With our social concept, we ensure that everything that takes place in our centres is monitored accordingly by our employees. We ensure that no-one engages in excessive gambling.
On the Internet, nobody stands next to the player and observes how he behaves when he wins, for example. How does he feel about the win? Are they happy about winning 200 euros? Or are they unimpressed and want to continue playing immediately? We can differentiate between the personalities of the players very well here on site and recognise whether they are at risk. I could get by with far fewer employees if an employee only came in person when a payout of €2,000 was made, for example. But then I wouldn't be able to monitor the payment transactions beforehand. This means that many of our employees are constantly on the move, because these payment transactions are of course also points of observation. A guest is seen in person because they are face to face with the employee.
Many of your employees have been with you for a very long time, some for 25 years. That reminds me a little of the family concept, which is also very pronounced at the Baltic Hurricanes. In your opinion, what is more important for a company: a sense of security within the family or a team that strives for victory?
Yes, I think it's quite unusual for people to stay with a company for so long. There are employees who may have started out as temporary staff or in the gaming service, then worked as a croupier and finally as a table supervisor. Sometimes they have even become the manager or director of a casino. The paths are open here, and I'm glad that some of them have been with us for so long, because of course it also means continuity for our guests. But of course, employees also have a monitoring and compliance function that they have to ensure. A certain professional distance is required here. Family or team? I think that's exactly the area of tension in which we operate. It has a bit of both.
After each stage of the Ocean Race, there is the obligatory champagne shower for the best-placed team. When you toast to success: Düsseldorf Altbier or North German Pilsner?
(laughs) Well, there are plenty of tasty non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy at this point. But I have also taken a six-pack of Füchschen* with me to Schleswig-Holstein.
*inka e.V. – Kieler Initiative gegen Kindserarmut
"Children are our future. But not all of them start out with the same good conditions. Child poverty is not an individual fate. According to the Social Report 2023, 24% or 7,521 children under the age of 15 are considered poor in Kiel. Children from low-income families are often unable to afford a musical instrument, go to ballet school or join a sports club. Yet all these activities are important for the development of a happy, self-confident and self-determined personality. Together with experienced teachers and schools, Inka gives these children in Kiel the chance to pursue their musical or sporting interests in their free time."
www.inka-kiel.de
*Füchschen
The brewery "Im Füchschen" on Ratinger Straße in Düsseldorf's historic city centre is a local institution.
© Kiel-Marketing GmbH – Interview: Ralf Löwe / sonofasailor.de
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