If charges are brought, banks and customers may reduce or cut ties with the company. Still, the case marks a turning point for Graf and the gambling empire he built. Heinz-Christian Strache has since retracted his Ibiza comments about the company.
Novomatic denies the allegations, saying the company, its executives and Graf haven’t been involved in any bribery attempts and that the case will be dropped once the facts are established. Prosecutors paint a picture of influence peddling on a large scale, alleging that the company promised politicians up to 500,000 euros for favorable legislation and “to help Novomatic gain a casino license in Vienna and a nationwide online license.” Monthly fees were part of a sham consulting contract, they claimed in documents seen by Bloomberg News. The wide-ranging video that brought down the Austrian government also prompted police searches at the homes of Graf, other Novomatic executives and government officials - including Former Finance Minister Hartwig Loeger - allegedly touched by the scandal.
