NOVOMATIC cleared for HBG Group acquisition in Italy

NOVOMATIC, one of Europe’s biggest gaming companies with regional and international reach, has been cleared to acquire HBG Group, further consolidating the company’s Italian footprint. NOVOMATIC has received an official go-ahead by the Italian Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies, which is the official competition authority in the country.

NOVOMATIC has hailed this as a crucial acquisition which will further consolidate its strong positions in the market. Over the past 15 years, NOVOMATIC has consistently delivered on robust revenue results and operated with success in the VLT market, which is deemed to be one of the most lucrative in Europe.

HBG Gaming, owned by the Group, is an important acquisition as it’s one of the key operators in the Italian market and it offers both Video Lottery Terminals and Amusement with Prizes. The operator is also present in other important gaming verticals, such as iGaming and sports betting, but also has established itself in the bingo segment. Commenting on these developments, NOVOMATIC Executive Board Member Ryszard Presch said:

"With this acquisition, NOVOMATIC is sending a clear signal of further international expansion and can double its market share as a concessionaire in one of the key European gaming markets."

The news was welcomed by a range of officials who were pleased with the announcement. Executive Board Member Johannes Gratzl noted that this is one of the biggest acquisitions the company has made and that it would lead to more growth not just in Italy but beyond. The acquisition directly gives NOVOMATIC further clout in the VLTs and AWPs verticals as well. Presently, NOVOMATIC has more than 3,000 employees in Italy and close to 22,000 worldwide.

While NOVOMATIC has been building in Europe, its digital division, Greentube has had other successes to report from beyond the Atlantic. In October, the company acquired Present Creative to further consolidate the company’s position in the US market. Greentube content has gone live with BetMGM in Michigan, demonstrating the company’s capabilities in a real iGaming environment.

The United States is a prominent and an increasingly important market for iGaming companies that wish to remain competitive in this particular vertical. Speaking to Relax Gaming’s Simon Hammon earlier this year, the chief executive confirmed that any business that provides online casino content and wishes to remain competitive would need to make a transition to the United States.

Meanwhile, NOVOMATIC has been keeping things balanced by not neglecting any aspect of its business.

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