Gambling in the USA

Authorities accede NOVOMATIC’s stake in Ainsworth

Published

6 years ago

March 9, 2018

Athira A

Photo credits: calvinayre.com

Reading Time: 4 minutes

NOVOMATIC’s stake in Ainsworth has been acceded by the authorities. The deal claims to be a huge Austrian investment and the initial successful registration of an Austrian gaming company in Las Vegas, Nevada.

With All the international regulatory approvals been set-up, it has finally materialised. NOVOMATIC acquired approximately 52 percent of the Australian industry giant Ainsworth Game Technology Limited (AGT). The formal closing which took place on January 5, 2018, was preceded by a series of meticulous audits conducted by various gaming authorities, ranging from Australia to South America and the US. A supreme focus was placed on comprehensive compliance checks that comprised not only NOVOMATIC itself but also the owner, the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board.

Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd is a publicly listed and globally operating company based in Newington, Sydney, with offices branching out in numerous countries namely North and South America. It has emerged in the forefront as a leading producer and supplier of high-quality gaming solutions in Australia, Asia and the Americas. The shares were sold by former majority shareholder Len Ainsworth, who for over half a century has been one of the industry’s most respected figures.

The foundation for the acquisition of 52 percent of the shares by NOVOMATIC was already laid at the beginning of 2016. However, at that time the minority shareholders’ consent, as well as the required regulatory and antitrust approvals, were still pending. This hurdle has been overcome in the last two years as part of the most thorough compliance checks. With the granted approvals of the international authorities, NOVOMATIC has now not only achieved another milestone in its corporate history of success but also considerably strengthens its market position in Australia, Asia and the US.

The acquisition is of major strategic importance for NOVOMATIC as it grants the Austrian gaming technology group access to the huge US market. Alongside competitor Aristocrat, Ainsworth is considered the market leader in Australia and ranks among the top 5 gaming companies in the US. Both gaming empires were founded by Len Ainsworth who celebrated his 94th-anniversary last year – Aristocrat in 1956 and Ainsworth in 1995.

With Ainsworth being publicly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:AGI), the market has remained supportive of the transaction itself, as reflected in both Ainsworth’s share price and the broad shareholder approval of the NOVOMATIC investment. Upon closing of the shareholding acquisition, Len Ainsworth has resigned as an Executive Director but will maintain an advisory role for another year. NOVOMATIC CEO, Harald Neumann joined the Ainsworth Board of Directors in February 2017 as a Non-Executive Director.

With the deal amounting to the equivalent of around EUR 300 million, NOVOMATIC has crowned its successful expansion course of recent years. The Group has made consistent strategic acquisitions amounting to an annual average of half a billion. “We have made 150 acquisitions since 2009 – on average 20 every year,” said Neumann. So far, the acquisitions were within the range of EUR 20 to 50 million. “With Ainsworth, we have now clearly exceeded the EUR 100 million mark. Growing acquisitions are a direct result of global consolidation in the gaming market,” he explains.

“With the majority acquisition of Ainsworth, we continue our consistent international growth strategy. In addition to increasing our market share in some highly competitive regions, we also clearly focus on the synergetic transfer of know-how, content and high-tech gaming equipment. Among the core competencies of Ainsworth are for example the Jackpot systems. The takeover will add great diversity to our European product portfolio, and it grants Ainsworth access to our huge game library,” continued Neumann. Initial R&D cooperation was already taken up in the course of last year.

Ainsworth Chairman, Graeme Campbell also highlighted the benefits of the deal: “The now finalised NOVOMATIC majority entry is a historically important day for Ainsworth and marks the next step in the company’s development in that we now have a new, international majority partner. This partnership strengthens AGT by providing us with the resources to better compete with our highly regarded gaming technologies and international competition expertise. We appreciate the support of NOVOMATIC and look forward to delivering benefits for all shareholders in the future.”

The declared goal of the cooperation is to jointly design highly competitive products for the US – a market with nearly one million gaming machines in operation. In a first step, Ainsworth products and technologies will diversify the European market. The combined strengths of the NOVOMATIC Americas headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and the Ainsworth facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be the basis for the targeted US market share of 10 percent over the next five years. In this context, NOVOMATIC particularly relies on the Ainsworth sales network, licensing rights for all US federal states, and target group-specific expertise. In addition, this strategic positioning will tap new potentials in South America.

Meanwhile, NOVOMATIC is particularly proud to have excelled all regulatory checks at the end of December 2017. “This makes NOVOMATIC one of the few internationally active companies to have passed such examinations in order to be granted green lights for the acquisition,” added Neumann. A highlight is the successful approval of the transaction by the Nevada gaming authorities. This is the first time for an Austrian company to be registered in the global gaming hub of Nevada.

Neumann confirms: “In the course of this registration all compliance aspects were thoroughly audited – including all parts of NOVOMATIC AG.” The majority acquisition of AGT is also the largest investment to date of an Austrian company in Australia. And it is an investment that significantly increases the gaming technology Group’s stake in the global gaming market. This step – along with others – is intended to make NOVOMATIC the global market leader in the field of high-tech gaming technology in the long-term.

Gambling in the USA

Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus

Published

5 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.

“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.

The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.

“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.

The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.

For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.

Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.

Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”

The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.

“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.

He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.

“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.

In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.

At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 15-21

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Caesars Entertainment announced that the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app is accepting mobile sports bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sports fans 21 and older who are interested in wagering on sports via mobile devices can download the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app to register and deposit statewide but must be physically present on-property at Harrah’s Gulf Coast to wager.

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced that FanDuel’s sports betting app and website has officially launched. This development will introduce FanDuel’s sports wagering platform to District residents and visitors, completely replacing the current GambetDC sports betting app and website.

eCOGRA has been officially authorised by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) to operate as a certifying entity for betting systems, live gaming studios and online games in Brazil. This announcement marks a significant milestone as eCOGRA continues to extend its international offering of iGaming testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services in regulated markets across the globe.

Jennifer Shatley, a recognised expert in the field and a highly sought speaker and advisor, has joined the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) as Executive Director. Shatley has had 25+ years worth of experience, working closely with the treatment community, academics, researchers, government bodies, state councils and gaming industry representatives to promote responsible gaming.

Odditt, a leading provider of innovative sports betting data, tools and analytics, has appointed Elaine Milardo as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With over 25 years of experience in the data industry and key roles at DraftKings and Vistaprint, Elaine brings a wealth of expertise to Odditt’s growing team.

Partnerships

Trustly, the global leader in Open Banking Payments, and Light & Wonder, the leading cross-platform global games company, are bringing cashless, in-person deposits to casino floors with Light & Wonder’s cashless solution, RAPIDPLAY. Building on Trustly’s success with guaranteed payments in online sports betting and iGaming, Trustly will deliver the same seamless, quick and secure online payment experience to the physical casino floor.

Fintech company Sightline has entered into an exclusive partnership with compliance and anti-fraud technology solutions leader GeoComply to bolster the security and efficiency of digital transactions within the regulated gaming industry. Sightline will integrate GeoComply’s cutting-edge IDComply identity verification solution as well as GeoComply’s compliance-grade geolocation tools across its comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions for land-based casinos and online gaming operators.

BetMGM has announced a partnership with GameCode, a distinguished iGaming company focused on the North American market. The partnership includes the launch of Boom Boom Boom, HammerCash, Gold Gold Gold and Super3 series which are now live at BetMGM in Michigan and New Jersey through direct integration. BetMGM plans to offer GameCode’s full portfolio of games in all jurisdictions where the operator’s iGaming platform is live pending regulatory approvals.

SCCG Management has announced a joint venture investment with Numb3rs, an innovative all-in-one payment solution provider built for gaming operators. The partnership aims to transform the gaming sector by integrating Numb3rs’ proprietary tech stack, ECRYPT, into the marketplace, thereby offering a comprehensive suite of payment processing solutions.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 8-14

Published

1 week ago

April 15, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

FanDuel Group, the premier online gaming company in North America and an Official Partner of Churchill Downs Inc., announced five time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and Grammy award-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo as the headlining performers at FanDuel’s inaugural Kentucky Derby Party. The exclusive, invite-only event will take place on Friday, May 3 at Paristown Arts and Entertainment District in Louisville, Kentucky from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

TPI, a leading provider of innovative player communication solutions for the casino industry, has appointed Joe Tingson as its new Vice President of Customer Success. With his unparalleled dedication to his customers, Joe will play a pivotal role as a leader for our digital Customer Success and Product teams.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, has announced plans for its new 33,000 square foot Atlanta Headquarters, which will be located in the Star Metals Building in Midtown Atlanta. The company plans to grow its workforce by 1000 new jobs over the next seven years, the economic impact of which will be $25M to the state of Georgia.

Century Casinos Inc. has announced that it opened its hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, The Riverview. The Riverview is a 69 room, six-story building with 68,000 square feet that is adjacent to and connected with Century Casino Cape Girardeau. The project cost $30.5 million and was financed with cash on hand.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced the opening of Terre Haute Casino Resort in Terre Haute, Indiana. The $290 million investment includes a casino floor with 1000 slot machines, 36 table games, and a state-of-the-art sportsbook. The 400,000-square-foot entertainment venue also features regionally inspired bars and restaurants including: Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar & Grill, The Soda Shoppe, Crossroads Center Bar and High Limit Bar.

Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Partnerships

EQL Games has partnered with global aggregation leader and NeoGames company, Pariplay, to provide the Virginia Lottery, through an agreement with NeoPollard Interactive, with a series of eInstant iLottery games for their industry-leading digital platform.

JACK Entertainment LLC announced the selection of Konami Gaming Inc.’s SYNKROS to power industry-leading systems technology across its 1.5 million square feet of casino entertainment space. The Ohio-based gaming operator’s portfolio includes a combined 2600+ gaming machines and 85 table games at JACK Cleveland Casino in downtown Cleveland, and at JACK Thistledown Racino, located approximately 10 miles to the southeast.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that the company has reunited with the Atlanta Braves as the club’s Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner for the 2024 season. The partnership extends a longstanding relationship that dates back to 2020, with the two Atlanta-based companies continuing to work together on unique opportunities for their dedicated fans.