NOVOMATIC: Sales and employee record in the first half of 2017

NOVOMATIC, Europe’s leading gaming technology group, achieved record sales figures in the first six months of the 2017 financial year and the highest number of employees in the company’s history.

In the first six months, the sales of NOVOMATIC AG rose by 11.3 percent to EUR 1,218.7 million (first half-year 2016: EUR 1,094.9 million). This development is mainly due to a significant increase in the electronic slot machines operated by NOVOMATIC worldwide. Compared to the same period in the previous year, the number of self-operated sites (including casinos, sport betting outlets and bingo operations) increased from about 1,800 to almost 2,100. Operated gaming machines also achieved a new record with an increase of about 9,000 machines to currently 70,700 machines.

The growth of the Group in the first half of the year was driven by acquisitions made primarily in the core markets of Germany and Spain. Among others, the Casino Royal Group in Germany and Basque Gaming in Spain were acquired. Other small corporate acquisitions took place, e.g. in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

“These future-oriented investments ensure the strong position of NOVOMATIC in the global market for the long-term,” said NOVOMATIC CEO, Mr. Harald Neumann. “The current half-year figures with record sales show that we are on the right track with our international growth strategy. This is also exactly what we will pursue in the future.”

The acquisitions made in the first half of 2017 amounted to EUR 115.4 million. The largest acquisition accounted for EUR 44 million in the German market for Casino Royal, followed by EUR 39.8 million in Eastern Europe (EE) with the acquisition of majority interests in four Polish companies.

In the first half-year, the EBITDA amounted to EUR 282.5 million and thereby was just EUR 4.7 million below the level of the previous year. The number of employees rose to a historically high figure of 26,336, representing a growth of 2,487 persons compared to the end of 2016.

About NOVOMATIC
The NOVOMATIC Group is one of the biggest international producers and operators of gaming technologies and employs more than 25,000 staff worldwide. Founded by entrepreneur Professor Johann F. Graf in 1980, the Group has locations in more than 50 countries and exports high-tech electronic gaming equipment and solutions to more than 70 countries. The Group operates more than 260,000 gaming terminals in its almost 2,100 plus gaming operations as well as via rental concepts.

Through its numerous international subsidiaries, the NOVOMATIC Group is fully active in all segments of the gaming industry and thus offers a diversified Omni-channel product portfolio to its partners and clients around the world. This product range includes land based gaming products and services, management systems and cash management, online/mobile and social gaming solutions as well as lottery and sports betting solutions together with a range of sophisticated ancillary products and services.