Austrian gaming equipment supplier Novomatic AG has increased its stake in Australian slot maker Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd to nearly 60 percent, as the former seeks to acquire the shares it does not currently control in Ainsworth. The offer price for Ainsworth shares implied an equity value of approximately AUD336.83 million on a fully diluted basis, according to a recent statement published by Ainsworth. Last week, an independent board committee of Ainsworth “unanimously” recommended that Ainsworth’s shareholders accept Novomatic’s takeover bid. In late August, Novomatic and Ainsworth announced the termination of a separate scheme implementation deed, which had been proposed in April. Via the scheme transaction, Novomatic had also intended to acquire the shares it does not currently control in Ainsworth.