History
The company produced their first machine in 1953 and was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1996. The company was founded by Len Ainsworth, whose family [2] maintains a substantial stake in the company. Ainsworth is now chairman of a different gaming company, Ainsworth Game Technology. Aristocrat is licensed to distribute slot machines and other gaming products in over 200 jurisdictions (note that many countries, including Australia, have a number of different gaming-license jurisdictions).
Aristocrat's CEO blamed the US subprime mortgage crisis for poor financial results in 2008, [3] despite competing companies experiencing record growth [4] in the same period. As a result of the expected drop in revenue, the CEO enacted sweeping budget cuts, including large-scale retrenchments of staff from all areas of the business. [5] For the 12 months to December 2009, the company reported a net loss of $157.8 million. [6]
In 2011, the company reached an agreement with the AGLC to provide equipment and games for Alberta's video lottery terminal network. [7]
In July 2014, Aristocrat agreed to buy Video Gaming Technologies for about $1.3 billion to triple its North American business amid falling profit in Australia. [8] On 10 August 2017, the company acquired mobile game developer Plarium for $500 million to enter into mobile gaming. [9] On 30 November 2017, they then acquired mobile game developer Big Fish Games for US$990 million. [10]
Since March 2017, the CEO has been Trevor Croker, formerly executive vice president for global products, who succeeded Jamie Odell. [11] [12]
In July 2019, Aristocrat sued Ainsworth, alleging that they had used proprietary code and media assets leaked by a former Aristocrat employee to produce a clone of its popular Lightning Link games. [13] [14]
On 4 October 2021, Aristocrat Gaming was awarded the Land-based Product, Land-based Industry Supplier and Slot of the Year (“Buffalo Link”) from the Global Gaming Awards in Las Vegas for the “In the Clear” initiative introduced for their gaming machines. [15]
On 18 October 2021, Aristocrat announced they would bid to buy Playtech for US$3.7 billion, [16] which was later turned down by Playtech shareholders with more than 45% voting against the deal. However, the company stated it would consider other proposals. [17] As a result, in May 2022, Aristocrat announced it would launch its online casino business by the end of 2022, as the group aims to become a leader in the emerging digital gambling industry. Additionally, Aristocrat announced a $500 million on-market share buyback to return some of the $1.3 billion additional funding raised for the failed bid of Playtech. [18]
Following the unsuccessful bid for Playtech, Aristocrat continued to expand its digital and interactive gaming operations. In April 2024, the company completed the acquisition of NeoGames, strengthening its presence in regulated online gaming and iLottery markets as part of a broader shift toward digital and recurring-revenue businesses. [19]
In February 2025, Aristocrat divested its mobile gaming subsidiary Plarium Global [20] , selling the business as part of a strategic review aimed at focusing on its core land-based gaming, social casino, and regulated interactive segments. During this period, the company also undertook significant capital management initiatives, including large on-market share buy-back programs. [21]
In January 2026, Aristocrat Leisure reached a global settlement with Light & Wonder in relation to litigation in Australia and the United States concerning alleged misappropriation of Aristocrat’s intellectual property. The proceedings related to Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon gaming titles, which Aristocrat alleged incorporated proprietary mathematical models and game design elements from its Dragon Link series. [22]
Products and partnerships
Aside from spinning reel slot machines, the company has an interest in gambling systems (computerized network systems that manage slot machines), computerized card game simulations, electronic table games, and linked jackpot systems (such as the patented Hyperlink systems). The company has developed a variation of the multi-way slot game feature called the Reel Power system, where players buy reels instead of lines, winning combinations in the standard configuration. [23] [24]
Aristocrat's most prominent products have been game setups that place large progressive jackpots over a number of machines, including its Lightning Link series. The series has seen substantial popularity, and Aristocrat has licensed branded areas in several North American casinos dedicated exclusively to the machines. [25] [14] [13] [26]
The company has had a number of distribution partnerships over the years. In the early 2000s, Aristocrat maintained a distribution relationship with Sammy Corporation in Japan, which later became SammySega Corporation. [27] In the U.S., Aristocrat has licensed titles to Grand Vision Gaming of Montana for use on video lottery terminals. [28]
In 2022, Aristocrat entered into licensing agreements with the National Football League to produce NFL-themed games; the lineup was unveiled at Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas ahead of Super Bowl LVIII (which was hosted by the city), including games such as Super Bowl Jackpots (which can be customized by players with themes for each of the NFL's teams). The company also announced an agreement with the New England Patriots to become a sponsor of the team as an "official betting partner", including advertising signage at Gillette Stadium. [29] [30] Aristocrat announced a similar sponsorship with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024. [31]
A$6,603.6 million (2024)
