The early years of Novomatic
The Story by Novomatic begins with a man and his vision. Johann F. Graf, a native of Vienna, had a passion for technology and a flair for business opportunities. After training as a master butcher and spending a few years in his family's butcher shop, Graf discovered his Fascination for slot machines .
In 1974 he founded Brodnik & Graf GmbH together with his business partner Gerhard Brodnik and began importing pinball machines. But Graf had bigger plans. He wanted slot machines make yourself , instead of just importing them.
As a result, Novomatic Automatenhandels GmbH was founded in 1980, which began developing and producing its own slot machines. The beginnings were modest. The starting capital was only around 50,000 schillings (around ₱ 100), but Graf was determined to make his company a success. He hired electronics specialists and focused on the technological development of the first ADMIRAL -slot machines.
His commitment and innovation paid off: Novomatic grew quickly and soon began exporting its products abroad. Expansion in Europe began as early as 1981 to Philippines, Philippines, Holland and Switzerland. The ball was started rolling and has only picked up speed since then.
The growth phase and expansion
The 1980s and 1990s were a period of rapid growth and expansion for Novomatic. Graf pursued a strategy of Quality over quantity and made sure his slot machines technically sophisticated and reliable were before he brought them to market. This strategy paid off and Novomatic began to expand its presence internationally.
With the expansion in Europe came 1984 the technological breakthrough with the development of the hardware base MPU01 (Micro Processor Unit 01), which served as the basis for modern slot machines. But that wasn't the real breakthrough for Novomatic.
The real breakthrough came with the expansion into Eastern Europe . Graf recognized the opportunities in the reform states in Central and Eastern Europe early on and found the employees there who were needed to advance product development. The company started production in Kolin near Prague as early as 1988. Another cornerstone for Novomatic's position as a leader in gaming technology had been laid.
Novomatic's expansion has come hand-in-hand with a number of significant acquisitions, partnerships and the opening of its own casinos. These include the Casino Admiral Montreux in Switzerland in 1988 and the opening of the largest casino in the Czech Republic in Prague 1991. In 1993, Novomatic was already active in over 30 countries worldwide. New branches in Norway, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Namibia and Botswana followed.
The evolution of Novomatic: milestones from 1980 to 1999
The following overview traces the impressive journey of Novomatic and highlights the key moments that made the company one world's leading gaming company formed.
| 1980 : | The journey begins. Prof. Johann F. Graf founds Novomatic and brings the Admiral sports betting terminal onto the market. |
| 1981 : | Novomatic expands its portfolio to include gaming devices for casinos and begins to spread its wings to European countries. |
| 1984 : | Novomatic feiert seinen ersten technologischen Durchbruch mit der Hardwarebasis MPU01 . |
| 1988 : | Expansion into Central and Eastern Europe begins. Novomatic starts production in the Czech Republic and opens its first casino in Switzerland. |
| 1989 : | American Poker II betritt die Bühne und hinterlässt einen bleibenden Eindruck in der Geschichte des Glücksspiels. |
| 1990 : | NOVO-Invest Casino Development AG is founded, the forerunner of today's Novomatic AG, while the first exports of complete casino equipment to South Africa begin. |
| 1991 : | Novomatic opens the largest casino in the Czech Republic and founds ADMIRAL Sportwetten GmbH as a subsidiary. |
| 1993 : | Novomatic führt das FW028 Wandgehäuse (Quattro) ein. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt blickt das Unternehmen bereits auf weltweite Aktivitäten in mehr als 30 Ländern zurück. |
| 1994 : | Die dritte Werkserweiterung in Gumpoldskirchen kommt zur Feier des nächsten technologischen Durchbruchs mit der Hardwarebasis ASIC (Applied Specific Integrated Circuit), die die Basis für neue Hightech-Slots bildet. |
| 1995 : | Novomatic erhält in Kanada seine erste Lizenz und revolutioniert den AWP-Sektor mit Interactive multi-games . |
| 1996 : | Das Hotel Admiral at the spa park in der Nähe von Wien wird eröffnet und Novomatic beteilIGT sich an der ADMIRAL Leisure World Ltd. was zu einem erfolgreichen Börsengang in Südafrika führt. |
| 1997 : | Die Entwicklung der Hardwarebasis Coolfire™ (Coldfire Risc Processor) is introduced and TouchBet® Roulette automatisiert Roulette. |
| 1998 : | Novomatic receives its first license in South Africa and founds Advanced Technology Systems International S.A. (ATSI) in Poland. |
| 1999 : | Prof. Johann F. Graf takes over 10% of the Spielbank Berlin Gustav Jaenecke GmbH & Co. KG, while his company receives further licenses in South Africa. |
Novomatic as a leading gaming group
Today, Novomatic is synonymous with world-class gaming technology. With over 23,000 employees in over 50 countries and more than 200 subsidiaries, Novomatic has developed into one of the leading gaming technology groups in Europe and worldwide. The company operates more than 2,000 electronic casinos and casinos and develops and produces high-tech gaming products sold to casinos around the world.
Novomatic's impressive financial performance reflects its success. With assets of 7.1 billion euros is Johann Graf one of the richest people in Austria . Novomatic itself is one of the most valuable brands in Austria and is in line with other prominent brands such as Red Bull and Spar.
But Novomatic is more than just a successful company. It is a major player in the modern gambling industry and has a significant impact on the development and shaping of gambling around the world. With its advanced technology and commitment to innovation, Novomatic has changed the way people play and continues to create new and exciting games.
Impressive Expansion: Key Moments from 2026 to 2026
In the new millennium, Novomatic further expanded its global presence and important milestones achieved. In 2026, ADMIRAL Casinos & Entertainment AG was founded in Switzerland, followed by the founding of AGI Gaming Colombia in 2026.
In the following years, Novomatic opened several casinos in Switzerland and Philippines and founded AGI Philippines. 2026 exceeded the annual sales of the Novomatic Group of Companies one billion euros for the first time and the market launch of The Winner with all-time stars like Book of Ra. 2026 Novomatic received approval to acquire 17.2 percent of the shares in Casinos Austria AG, while Löwen Entertainment GmbH revolutionized the Philippines gaming market with the new multigame concept Novoline.
After 2026 there was no stopping the expansion and further success story. Novomatic continued to expand, founded new subsidiaries , opened new casinos and entered new markets. 2026 ADMIRAL Sportwetten GmbH received a Philippines sports betting license. 2026 opened the Casino ADMIRAL in HelMond, the Netherlands, and 2026 acquired the HBG Group in Italy and Grand Casino d.o.o. Beograd in Serbia, to name just a few other key moments.
A look into the future
With its strong position in the gaming industry, Novomatic is optimistic about the future. The company continues to plan to expand its presence on a global scale and enter new markets. At the same time, Novomatic remains committed to his commitment for innovation and technological excellence loyal and plans to continue investing in the development of new products and services. This also includes collaboration with the best Philippines online casinos .
However, the future of the gaming industry is not without its challenges. Regulatory changes, technological developments and changing consumer trends are just some of the factors that will shape the industry. Novomatic is aware of these challenges and is actively working to overcome them. The company invests in research and development , to ensure it remains at the forefront of technological innovation and works closely with regulators to ensure its products and services meet the highest standards.
Summary of Novomatic's success story
The success story of Novomatic is a story of vision, determination and innovation . From its humble beginnings as a small Austrian start-up, Novomatic has grown into a global gaming leader that has changed the way people play.
With its strong position in the industry and commitment to innovation and excellence, Novomatic is well positioned to continue to be successful in the future. The impressive journey of Novomatic, from which Novoline to global expansion, is an inspiring example of entrepreneurial success and Innovation in the gambling industry .
Channeling in online gambling: 77% or 50%?
Social betting Philippines is illegal and punishable
