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Inspired Announces Agreement To Acquire Novomatic UK’s Gaming Technology Group

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Inspired Announces Agreement To Acquire Novomatic UK's Gaming Technology GroupReading Time: 4 minutes

 

Anticipated to Diversify and Broaden Scale and Scope of Inspired’s Footprint and Product Offering

 

Inspired Entertainment, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Gaming Technology Group (“NTG”) of Novomatic UK Ltd. (“Novomatic UK”), a division of NOVOMATIC GROUP, a leading international supplier of gaming equipment and solutions, for the EUR equivalent of US$120.0 million in cash.

Inspired is a leading supplier of Category B2/B3 gaming terminals in the UK, and NTG is a leading supplier of Category B3, C and D gaming terminals to pubs, arcades, motorway service areas and holiday resorts in the UK.  Following the transaction, Inspired would be positioned to supply an extensive range of products and services across the UK and Europe, and beyond.  Upon closing the acquisition, Inspired would manage more than 75,000 gaming machines in the UK and Europe.

“The potential acquisition of NTG is transformational for Inspired, enabling us to dramatically increase the size, scale and scope of our business by combining our highly complementary, but largely non-overlapping, businesses,” said Lorne Weil, Executive Chairman of Inspired Entertainment. “We expect to leverage our superior game content, technology, operational capabilities and respective footprints to augment the existing growth trends for our enterprise.”

NTG is comprised of the following six companies:

  • Gamestec Leisure – Primarily serving the UK pub sector through the placement of gaming machines on a managed service basis and delivering service support to the bingo and self service betting terminals sectors.
  • Playnation Limited Serving the UK holiday and leisure industry, including holiday parks, motorway service stations, bowling alleys, airports and independent holiday resorts through revenue share arrangements with operators.
  • Astra Games Limited – Gaming machine manufacturer, selling Category B, C and D gaming machines to pubs, adult gaming centers, and holiday resorts.
  • Bell-Fruit Group Limited – Primarily selling Category C machines, both analog and digital, and exporting machines to key European geographies.
  • Harlequin Gaming Limited – Game development studio for Astra and Bell-Fruit.
  • Innov8 Gaming Limited – Gaming machine developer supplying Category B3 and C gaming machines within the NTG and to external customers.

Mr. Weil continued, “Inspired and NTG currently operate in different segments but have much in common in terms of providing resources for our customers and their consumers.  This combination would provide additional resources for our core businesses and combine the great content and machine portfolio from each. We expect to be able to deliver meaningful value to our shareholders as the acquisition is integrated.”

Improved Operating Efficiencies

Inspired expects to achieve $12.3 million to $13.3 million of synergies through shared costs and increased scale. Inspired also expects to be able to make efficient use of shared manufacturing, engineering, software development, field maintenance and customer service to drive growth and cost savings after the transaction closes.  Inspired further expects to reduce capital deployed in the pub gaming sector following the closing of the transaction, as the sector continues its ongoing digital transformation.

Complementary Businesses Leveraging Core Competencies

Inspired plans to draw on the core strengths of Inspired and NTG to broaden offerings, bring differentiated gaming products to new sectors and geographies, accelerate key growth initiatives and offer enhanced capabilities, systems, field service and content.  The addition of NTG is expected to help diversify Inspired’s UK business and expand into contiguous customer segments with very little overlap of existing customers. Inspired’s position and expertise in server based gaming is expected to accelerate NTG’s development initiatives to transition the pub gaming sector from analog to digital gaming machines.

Inspired and NTG are both known for their product innovation and creative content. Together, the companies expect to offer an expansive combined game and machine portfolio to customers. Inspired and NTG are also well positioned to capitalize on further converting NTG’s game library for online deployment.

Transaction Terms and Execution

Inspired has agreed to acquire NTG for the EUR equivalent of US$120 million, subject to certain customary adjustments.  This consideration represents a multiple of approximately 5.5x NTG’s pre-synergy Adjusted EBITDA of £17.1 million, or $21.7 million[2], for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2018, and 3.5x after adjusting for the mid-point of estimated run-rate annual synergies of £9.6 million to £10.6 million, or $12.3 million to $13.3 million, as if they were achieved January 1, 2018.

The acquisition, which is subject to the approvals of regulatory authorities and other customary closing conditions, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2019.  In conjunction with the proposed transaction, Inspired is expected to refinance its existing indebtedness with a new £220 million GBP-equivalent term loan and £20 million revolving credit facility.  Inspired has obtained committed financing for the transaction, and the transaction is not subject to a financing contingency. The committed financing is expected to result in a reduction in cost of debt capital.

“The proposed financing is at a lower interest rate than our existing debt and is a major step in improving Inspired’s capital structure,” said Stewart Baker, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Inspired.  “Pro forma for the acquisition, adjusting for the mid-point of estimated run-rate annual synergies, the proposed financing implies net leverage of 3.0x[3].  It will position us with a stronger balance sheet and extended maturities, while also reducing our cost of capital which we believe will allow us to have more flexibility to capitalize on meaningful opportunities to grow our business.”

Casino Operations

The casino assets of Astra Games Limited are not included in the potential transaction.  At or prior to the closing of the Acquisition, Astra will transfer to Novomatic UK Gaming UK Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NOVOMATIC GROUP, assets to the extent related to its casino operations.

Financial and Legal Advisory

Nomura served as financial advisor to Inspired. Sidley Austin LLP and Addleshaw Goddard LLP served as legal advisors to Inspired.  Nomura and Macquarie Capital have provided financing commitments to support the transaction.

 

About Inspired Entertainment, Inc.:

Inspired is a global games technology company, supplying Virtual Sports, Mobile Gaming and Server Based Gaming systems with associated terminals and digital content to regulated lottery, betting and gaming operators around the world. Inspired currently operates approximately 35,000 digital gaming terminals and supplies its Virtual Sports products through more than 40,000 retail channels and over 100 websites, in approximately 35 gaming jurisdictions worldwide. Inspired employs more than 650 employees in the UK and elsewhere, developing and operating digital games and networks.

SOURCE Inspired Entertainment, Inc.


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Inspired Announces Agreement To Acquire Novomatic UK’s Gaming Technology Group

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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SOFTSWISS and Evolution Launch Evo Prime Drop Campaign

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The SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, a multipurpose gamification system for managing promotional campaigns, launched the Evo Prime Drop campaign in partnership with Evolution Gaming Group AB in March. The Evo Prime Drop aims to enhance player engagement and highlight captivating games integrated with Evolution. 

Evolution is a leading B2B solution provider for casino operators offering live casino, live game shows, slots and more. The Evo Prime Drop leverages Evolution’s extensive portfolio, available through the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, to feature premium games from such developers as NetEnt, Red Tiger, and Big Time Gaming (BTG). 

An exceptional aspect of the Evo Prime Drop is its accessibility to casino operators within the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator network at no extra charge. This arrangement between Evolution and SOFTSWISS supports their partners in enhancing player engagement and retention. 

The campaign’s jackpot prize pool is another highlight, featuring a generous 50,000 euro. The campaign is designed to be inclusive, allowing players to participate with a minimum bet of just 1 euro. The campaign started on 11 March and will conclude on 31 March. 

The prize distribution is thoughtfully structured to maximise the number of winners, with 20 top prizes of 1,000 euro each, 100 prizes of 100 euro, and 400 prizes of 50 euro. This tiered system adds to the appeal of the Evo Prime Drop, making it a highly anticipated event in the online gaming calendar. 

This inaugural campaign, launched in collaboration with a game provider, paves the way for further initiatives for SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator clients. The Jackpot Aggregator’s unique mechanics and the Game Aggregator’s user-friendly settings make the launch seamless and fast.

Aliaksei Douhin, Head of SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, comments: “We see immense potential in such campaigns because they present a win-win solution for all parties involved. 

Beyond addressing the casino’s primary objective of retaining and attracting players, these mechanics offer providers additional opportunities to promote their games. Furthermore, players gain new experiences, exactly what draws them to us. 

Thanks to the quick and easy launch, we view these campaigns as a positive development for the industry. 

Special thanks to Evolution for their pivotal partnership in Evo Prime Drop. Evolution’s support is instrumental in bringing these gaming opportunities to life, showcasing the strength of collaborative efforts in advancing the gaming industry.”

Nicholas Peters, Chief Business Development Officer Europe at Evolution, adds: “We are excited to partner with SOFTSWISS in the Evo Prime Drop campaign. Collaborating with the expert team behind the Jackpot Aggregator, and given the excellence of SOFTSWISS’ software solutions and the premium games from providers integrated by Evolution, we are confident in the campaign’s success.

We are constantly looking for new technologies and mechanics to maintain a leading position in the market and provide innovative solutions to our customers. We are pleased that our collaboration with the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator has proven to be mutually beneficial. “

 

About SOFTSWISS 

SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.

 

About Evolution

Evolution Group is a leading B2B provider of online casino content. Evolution’s brands are synonymous with outstanding solutions and the widest choice in the online gaming world. As well as being a world-leader of live dealer gaming with its Evolution and Ezugi brands, the NetEnt, RedTiger, Big Time Gaming and Nolimit City studios produce some of the industry’s most innovative and commercially successful slots. The Digiwheel brand is the developer of the world’s first patented HD spinning gaming wheel, offering opportunities to bring the very best of wheel based online games to land-based casinos. Livespins is an innovative B2B social streaming game provider that enables.

The post SOFTSWISS and Evolution Launch Evo Prime Drop Campaign appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BetConstruct Introduces 3 New Advanced Services: Zone Solutions, Pro DDOS Protection and Business Dashboard

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BetConstruct, a global leader in iGaming technologies committed to constant progress, has launched 3 services aimed at the high performance and growth of its partners: Zone Solutions, Pro DDOS Protection and Business Dashboard.

These services are precisely crafted to address the diverse needs of BetContruct’s partners providing them with leading-edge solutions to foster success in the competitive world of iGaming.

Zone Solutions

Zone Solutions is an all-encompassing suite of domain management services and solutions tailored specifically for Turnkey partners with domain management on their side to upgrade online operations and handle domain management with ease and confidence. From proactive strategies to meeting regulatory compliance measures, Zone Solutions helps businesses enhance an efficient online presence.

Pro DDOS Protection

Pro DDOS Protection is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution tailored specifically for White Label and Turnkey Partners, with domain management handled on the provider’s side. This leading-edge product is designed to combat Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks and safeguard web applications. With its instant threat detection, enhanced WAF capabilities, and rapid response, the DDOS mitigation service provides security and reliability of the digital assets of White Label and Turnkey Partners.

Business Dashboard

Business Dashboard is a powerful analytics platform that delivers real-time insights and simplifies gaming business management. This comprehensive tool allows to track key metrics across finances, player acquisition, and website traffic. It helps to optimise casino & sportsbook performance and make data-driven decisions for success.

Embracing these services, partners can confidently navigate challenges, elevate their online operations, and seize opportunities for growth in the dynamic world of iGaming. With BetConstruct as a trusted ally, the future of online gaming holds limitless potential for those who dare to innovate and succeed.

The post BetConstruct Introduces 3 New Advanced Services: Zone Solutions, Pro DDOS Protection and Business Dashboard appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Booming Games launches another smash hit with Lucky Oasis

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Let your players be transported to a world of opulence and excitement with Booming Games’ latest hit slot – Lucky Oasis.

Lucky Oasis, is a 5×3, 20-payline video slot that has been designed to immerse players into a world full of engaging new features, set against a backdrop of showgirls and the rolling of dice which will have your players quickly feeling like a high roller.

With just 3 or more Scatter symbols, players can unlock up to 12 Free Spins. Additionally, the game’s unique ‘Random Selection’ feature cranks up the excitement further, by providing players with a simple auto-selection mechanism to enhance their overall gaming experience.

However, one of the standout features of Lucky Oasis is its Wild Multipliers, which can substitute for all symbols except the Scatter, with the potential to multiply wins by up to 3,024x.

Moritz Blume, Director of Product at Booming Games commented, “Lucky Oasis is such a great addition to our game portfolio because it’s where two worlds collide. It’s packed full of innovative features that players have come to love about our games, combined with the nostalgic feel of a casino you’d find sheltering under the Nevada sun.

“We love what we do and I think this is mirrored in the games that we release and Lucky Oasis is no exception. We are really excited to see this game go live and it’s impending success.”

The post Booming Games launches another smash hit with Lucky Oasis appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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