Despite months of negotiations with the Federal Competition Authority (BWB), Novomatic could not come to a consensus over the requirements to acquire part of Casinos Austria.
The BWB denied the merger because it would allegedly restrict competition. Novomatic CEO Harald Neumann said: “Unfortunately, it has become evident that the BWB and the experts appointed by the BWB have adopted a viewpoint that has precluded any solution that would be economically feasible for us.
“Most of the requirements called for would not be commercially viable for the Novomatic Group and would thwart the positive development of Casinos Austria.
“Until the last moment, we fought for a solution that would have been viable for everyone concerned. In order to avert substantial economic disadvantages for the company, we could not accept the requirements demanded of us.
“What is especially unfortunate here is that an Austrian solution has failed. Moreover, player protection across channels and companies would have been made possible along with positive fiscal effects.”
