UK-Based Astra Games Limited has completed their acquisition of assets of Danoptra Gaming Group. Gaming machine maker Astra Games is a subsidiary of Austrian Gaming Industries and part of Novomatic Group.
Danoptra has sold subsidiaries Bell-Fruit Games, Gamestec Leisure, Mazooma Interactive games and RLMS Sales to Astra Games. This was after they have received clearance from the Office of Fair Trading in the UK last month. With Astra buying these subsidiaries, the company is set to form an Astra UK Gaming Group subsidiary that could earn them a turnover of about £80 million, excluding tax, depreciation and amortization of over £15million.
The new subsidiary will be employing a total of 1,042 in their workforce. Individual identities of each of the four newly acquired subsidiaries will be maintained and operations will be conducted in a “business as usual” manner.
Astra UK Gaming Group will be managed by a board of five members headed by CEO Zane Mersich. Mersich has been the Managing Director of Astra Games since 2008. Joining him on the board are John Austin, Managing Director of Bell Fruit Games, and Chris Butler, Managing Director for Gamestec Leisure. The Chief Financial Officer position will be occupied by Neil Paramore and Paul Terroni will be moving from Danoptra to Astra Games as the Business Development Director of the UK Gaming Group.
Mersich a statement and said, “All of us involved in the process of bringing together Astra Games and Danoptra understand the importance for the wider UK gaming industry as well as just the parties directly involved of a deal that will now safeguard iconic industry names and the employment that they provide.”
He adds that they are looking forward into the future with great confidence and a belief that their new group of companies that create the new Astra UK Gaming Group will play a leading role in UK’s gaming industry.
By these acquisitions, Astra Games has grown and has secured over 1,000 jobs in the UK. They have also given the most iconic names in the UK gaming industry another chance to rise to fame again.
“I look forward to the future with excitement and anticipation and I hope and believe that the many stakeholders in what has been an industry hard pressed of late by economic circumstance will see the opportunity to move forward in partnership with us towards a brighter and sustainable future,” Merisch said.
