Novomatic showcases 40 years of innovative power at ICE London

Founded in 1980, Novomatic celebrates its 40th anniversary this year at the world’s largest gaming exhibition, ICE London.

The range of products being showcased at what is traditionally the largest stand at the exhibition center reflects how Novomatic has developed over the past 40 years. On a show space covering 5,000 sqm, the company is taking visitors on a tour of gaming technology innovations from the past, present and future.

The offer here ranges from various games, high-tech casino equipment, systems and cash management solutions to arcade and pub products, sports betting, as well as online, mobile and social gaming. The contents of twelve trucks had to be put together in order to master this logistical challenge. In addition to setting up more than 200 gaming terminals and a 160 sqm LED panel, six kilometers of copper wiring and around two kilometers of fiber-optic cables were laid for the Novomatic stand at this important industry trade show.

“ICE 2020 is a very special exhibition for Novomatic, not least because we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. What this means is that not only will we be presenting our product portfolio here, but we will also be showcasing for our customers and partners how we have developed over the past 40 years,” says Harald Neumann, CEO of Novomatic AG, expressing his pride in the company’s innovative power at a press conference during the ICE on Tuesday.

Harald Neumann, CEO of Novomatic.

While at the exhibition, Mr. Neumann provided an initial assessment of the past fiscal year, in keeping with tradition. The CEO reported that the globally active Novomatic Group expects consolidated revenue of around EUR 5.1 billion for the 2019 fiscal year, as forecast in the prior year. In 2019, the number of employees in the Group around the world came to approximately 30,000, reflecting a stable development. The Novomatic Group includes the figures of Novo Invest GmbH and NOVO SWISS AG, which are owned by Prof. Johann F. Graf.

In addition to growth in its core segments of gaming technology and gaming operations, Novomatic continues to have high hopes for the sports betting business. With the company pursuing a strategy of international expansion in this sector and planning to build on its already strong position in Europe. At the same time, Novomatic’s activities as a supplier of technology in the sports betting sector are to be expanded in the US.

There continues to be a focus on the digital interactive segment. This has for years been one of the fastest-growing sectors, internationally speaking, in the gaming industry taking advantage of the ever more powerful mobile devices available for use by consumers. “The customer should be able to play a game without any interruptions on a mobile device, at a computer or at an establishment,” says Mr. Neumann.

When it comes to biometric data, Novomatic is one of the first gaming technology groups worldwide to have created the technical prerequisites for a biometric-based access and payment system. The patented technology is already being used on gaming machines in Europe. Customers should be able to use their biometric ID to gain access to any of the operator’s gaming facilities and have game credit virtually at their disposal. The application also allows licensed operators such as ADMIRAL to implement effective player protection measures. The fingerprint thus replaces the player card, which is required in many countries.

The Novomatic Group has seen strong growth in the past, primarily through strategic acquisitions. The company now has 350 shareholdings, around 220 of which are fully consolidated in the balance sheet of Novomatic AG. The focus is now on targeted further growth: “The primary goal is to safeguard and expand our position in our core markets,” says Mr. Neumann.