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Australian slot machine manufacturer Ainsworth Game Technology will pay Aristocrat AU$8.5 million under an agreement covering the use of certain Aristocrat patents. The arrangement includes patents linked to electronic gaming machine features such as the Australian Hold & Spin family.
The agreement was reached after negotiations between Ainsworth and Aristocrat entities Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited and Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. It follows a 2025 Federal Court decision that found Aristocrat patents concerning the delivery of feature games on electronic gaming machines were patentable.
Agreement Follows Court Decision
Ainsworth said in a Friday filing that the parties began discussions after the court ruling regarding the use of Aristocrat’s game feature patents. Those negotiations resulted in the agreement, which was effective immediately.
The deal gives Ainsworth a license to the relevant Aristocrat patents and settles potential claims connected to the historical use of those patents in the Australian market. The settlement provides a framework for Ainsworth to continue using the covered features in its Australian operations.
Ainsworth chief executive Ryan Comstock said the agreement gives the company greater certainty as it carries out its strategic growth plans in Australia. The filing did not provide further details about the negotiations or the potential claims resolved by the settlement.
Hold & Spin Features Covered
The agreement primarily covers game features, including Aristocrat’s Hold & Spin family. It allows Ainsworth to incorporate the features when it makes, sells, services, upgrades, and converts Ainsworth-branded electronic gaming machines in Australia.
The license also covers Ainsworth-branded online and mobile games in the Australian market. In addition, Ainsworth may manufacture and service products through third parties under the terms of the agreement.
Aristocrat has granted Ainsworth a non-exclusive and non-transferable license covering its Australian gameplay feature patents, including the Australian Hold & Spin patent family. The licence applies to Ainsworth-branded products in Australia.
Customers Receive Pass-Through Rights
Ainsworth also secured pass-through rights under the agreement. This means its customers, distributors, and venues are automatically licensed to use, operate, service, and resell units supplied during the term of the arrangement.
The rights are intended to provide customers with certainty of title and continuity for the units supplied by Ainsworth. The agreement extends beyond the direct relationship between the 2 manufacturers and includes parties involved in the distribution and operation of Ainsworth products.
Responsible Gaming Patents Included
The agreement also gives Ainsworth a royalty-free license to Aristocrat’s responsible gaming patents. These include technology involving digital wallets, account-based play, player limits, self-exclusion, player messaging, and AI-based risk detection.
The license for the responsible gaming patents will remain in effect until each patent expires. According to Ainsworth, those expirations are expected to occur well beyond the term of the broader agreement.
Reciprocal License Arrangement
Under another term, Ainsworth has granted Aristocrat a non-exclusive and non-transferable licence covering all of Ainsworth’s patents for Aristocrat-branded products in Australia. The reciprocal arrangement gives both companies defined rights to use the relevant patents in the Australian market.
Ainsworth will pay AU$8.5 million to Aristocrat under the agreement. The deal provides a settlement for historic patent use while allowing Ainsworth to use the covered Aristocrat features in its Australian machine, online, and mobile products.
Source: Inside Asian Gaming
