Novomatic AG now controls 219.37 million shares in Ainsworth Game Technology. That’s 65.13% of the Australian slot maker’s voting power.
The Austrian supplier filed its latest Form 604 on December 9. Related entities include Prof Johann F. Graf, JFG Privatstiftung and Novo Invest GmbH, all showing aligned voting interests. These connected parties have been buying steadily since early October.
Ainsworth confirmed the update through its ASX filing. The company manufactures slot machines from its Australian base and holds licenses across multiple regulated markets.
Why This Majority Position Matters
Moving past 50% wasn’t enough. Novomatic wanted stronger control before integrating operations.
The 65% threshold gives the Austrian group real influence over board decisions and strategic direction. They don’t need to negotiate as much anymore. Integration plans can move faster when you’ve got a solid majority locked down.
For Ainsworth shareholders who accepted the offer, the deal closed at AU$1.00 per share (that’s US$0.66). But the takeover’s been processing since September. These latest purchases show continued momentum rather than resistance.
What Novomatic Bought Between October and December
Daily trades added up fast. Some days brought just 100 shares. Other settlements hit 732,713 shares in one go (that happened November 5).
The biggest single-day purchase was 732,713 shares on November 5. Then 522,152 shares changed hands on October 31. All transactions settled at the same AU$1.00 price.
Most of these weren’t open market purchases. They came through contractual settlements under the takeover offer that Novomatic announced back in September. The Bidder’s Statement went out September 3, and acceptances started flowing in weeks later.
November saw the bulk of activity. Almost daily transactions processed throughout the month as more shareholders accepted terms.
How Integration Will Accelerate Now
Ainsworth’s product line gets absorbed into one of Europe’s biggest gaming technology companies. That means faster system integration and shared R&D resources.
The Australian manufacturer gains direct access to Novomatic’s international distribution network. Markets in Europe and Latin America become easier to crack with a parent company that’s already established there.
Product development timelines should compress. Instead of building everything independently, Ainsworth can now tap into Novomatic’s existing platforms and compliance frameworks.
And there’s more buying ahead. Novomatic will need to report any additional stake increases through ASX filings. The 65% mark isn’t necessarily the end, just the current position as of December 9.
