Novomatic has extended its takeover offer for Ainsworth Game Technology again, giving remaining shareholders one more week to accept as it tries to take full control of the Australian gaming supplier.
Ainsworth said the off-market offer will now stay open until 7:00 p.m. Sydney time on Feb. 6, after a prior end date of Jan. 30. Novomatic and its founder Johann Graf together controlled about 66.6% of Ainsworth as of late January, leaving the outcome with a small group of holdouts.
Feb. 6 is meant to force a decision
The extension was filed as a formal notice of variation linked to Novomatic’s bidder’s statement and is described as the final extension. After several deadline resets, the buyer is signaling it wants closure without changing terms.
Acceptance levels matter more than the calendar now. Reaching 90% would let Novomatic move to compulsory acquisition, while getting above 75% can support a later delisting that can leave remaining shareholders holding stock with far less liquidity.
The A$1.00 offer price remains the sticking point
Novomatic’s offer remains A$1.00 per share in cash, described as “best and final” and unconditional. The buyer has publicly said it will not raise the price.
Opposition has centered on valuation. Minority shareholder criticism has included claims the offer undervalues Ainsworth’s business, including the importance of its U.S.-linked assets and longer-term opportunity, and that disagreement has helped keep acceptances from snapping into place.
What investors watch if acceptances still stall
If Novomatic cannot get to 90%, Ainsworth can remain listed with a small free float and thinner trading. That keeps the company in a familiar limbo state: controlled, but not fully owned.
The next week will show whether “final” really means final. If acceptances do not move, Novomatic either lives with the minority register or comes back later with a different structure to finish the job.
