Austria’s Novomatic Group is to acquire the Elam Group, the Dutch gaming equipment developer and distributor.

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The Veldhoven-based company acts as distributor for Interblock, CMS and Aristocrat. It employs 22 people.

“We are happy with this acquisition because our respected past games will gain a second life via the Novomatic Group now that online gambling will be allowed from 2016 in the Netherlands,” said Kees Theuws, Elam’s financial director. “Novomatic is strongly represented online and that makes the total more than the sum of the parts.”

Commercial director Jos van Rheden said that the Elam Group will remain a “well known face” within the Dutch gambling industry.

“The sales team of Elam Group will remain to operate independently on the Dutch market,” he said. “Besides that, we can give attention to our cost structure by realising synergies within the Novomatic Group – a must for the gambling industry in the Netherlands, which is under continuous pressure.”

In the last few years, Novomatic has focused on developing its business in the Netherlands. The takeover of Elam follows the acquisition of Eurocoin Gaming, JVH gaming products, JVH exploitatie, Pierre de Jonge and Loontjens Automaten.