Revenue in the past financial year 2016 reached EUR 2,294.1 million, corresponding to a year-on-year increase of 10 %. The largest increase was achieved in the area of gaming machine revenues, which rose by EUR 126.7 million to EUR 1,028.9 million. Group EBITDA came to EUR 588.5 million (2015: EUR 616.7 million).
During the year under review, the number of employees in the NOVOMATIC Group grew by 18.1 % to a total of 23,849. The growth dynamics of NOVOMATIC is also demonstrated by the fact that the number of fully consolidated companies in the financial year 2016 increased to 217 (2015: 188).
"Not only did we achieve excellent financial results in 2016, but we also set out clear strategic paths that are particularly important for the further expansion of the Group of companies,” said Harald Neumann, Chief Executive Officer of NOVOMATIC AG, reporting on the development of the Group.
"These include the signing of an agreement to acquire approximately 53 % of the shares in Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd. Thanks to the strong presence of Ainsworth in Australia, Asia, North and South America, NOVOMATIC will, in future, also intensify its work in these markets,” added Neumann.
The focus of the NOVOMATIC Group also continued to be on further expanding its business activities in Europe. To this end, a strong signal was sent in the important British market with the acquisition of Talarius Ltd. by NOVOMATIC UK. The Group also expanded its market position in Germany, Italy and Spain by acquiring numerous smaller companies. In Austria, the acquisition of shares in Casinos Austria AG and Österreichische Lotterien GmbH was the focus of attention, along with the associated decision by the Cartel Court. The legal steps resulting from the acquisition of 17.19 % of the shares will now be completed in the forthcoming reporting year of 2017.
In order to harness growth opportunities, NOVOMATIC also expanded its financial scope for action in the previous year, issuing a benchmark bond in September 2016 with a volume of EUR 500 million, the first such bond from an Austrian company in 2016.
The combined Group revenue of the NOVOMATIC
AG Group, as well as the two Swiss sister holding companies ACE Casino Holding
AG and Gryphon Invest AG, also reached a new high in 2016 at EUR 4,402 million
(2015: EUR 3,929 million). Together, the companies in question employ around
29,000 employees worldwide, of which approximately 3,300 are located in
Austria.
Source: GMB
