The sale of Inspired Gaming's pubs division to Gamestec, reported recently by InterGame, is now becoming more clear.
We now believe that around 30,000 machines are involved in the sale, which will transpose the top two British operators with Gamestec now becoming the country’s largest with around 70,000 pieces of equipment.
Inspired is getting out of the operation of machines in pubs through its much-publicised lack of enthusiasm for the level of rents which retailers are prepared to permit operators and to concentrate on the development and sale of its server-based gaming technology. Gamestec will become a major customer of that technology under the sale package.
The move will create one major supplier to the pubs business and is reported to be attracting the attention of Britain’s Office of Fair Trading, which has to protect free trade from monopoly situations. Gamestec will be well prepared for any approach on this issue.
Somewhere between 700 and 1,000 staff members will transfer from Inspired to Gamestec as a result of the deal, but several Inspired service depots will be closed.
The current rumours are fairly expected - that the Inspired operation in arcades will be sold in the short term.
