Lawyerly reported that the presiding judge in a Melbourne branch of the Federal Court of Australia turned down the request.

The judge explained that allowing Aristocrat to ask class action members to answer its questions would lead to “self-diagnosis.” This would inevitably fail to produce reliable results, the court added.

Aristocrat Gambling Disorders Questions Rejected

The plaintiffs responded to the request last month, arguing that Aristocrat’s request was unfair.

Lawyers for the group said that vulnerable individuals should not be asked to diagnose their own gambling habits.

The judge agreed that obliging the plaintiffs to speak about potential gambling disorders or mental conditions before mediation efforts might put unfair pressure on the group.

The court added that this could also undermine the legal process.

Aristocrat’s legal team said that the data would help assess liability and the scale of potential damages.

The class action suit’s legal team has accused Sydney-based Aristocrat of operating virtual games that imitate online casino games.

They claim that the games in question enable users to spend real money through in-app purchases.

The suit also names the Aristocrat subsidiaries Product Madness and Big Fish Games.

Under the terms of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, all forms of online casino gaming are illegal in Australia.

The suit names all Australians who made in-app purchases with real money from December 22, 2017, to December 12, 2024.

The games include titles such as Heart of Vegas, Big Fish Casino, and Epic Diamond Slots. Experts predict that the parties will likely attempt to resolve their dispute through a neutral third party later this year.

However, if attempts to mediate the case prove unsuccessful, it will likely head to trial.

2020 US Case May Inspire Lawyers

The plaintiffs and their legal team will have been inspired by a 2020 class action victory against Big Fish in Washington.

The lawyers claimed certain Artisocrat social apps were classified as illegal gambling software under state law.

The case culminated in Artisocrat paying a settlement worth $155 million.

The court ruled that casino-type games can still be classified as gambling, even if apps do not allow players to convert virtual in-game currencies into cash.

The ruling comes as a further blow for Aristocrat, which suffered a legal setback in a long-running copyright battle last month.

However, the Australian firm also scored a coup this month when it ousted its bitter rival Light & Wonder as the operator of land-based Monopoly-themed slots.

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Matt Bastock

Aristocrat Leisure Limited has announced that the sale of its subsidiary Plarium Global to Modern Times Group (MTG) has been completed. 

The sale was initially announced in November 2024 and was part of a strategic review of Aristocrat’s casual and mid-core gaming assets. 

The sale price was $620 million, and Aristocraft Leisure will receive $170 million in performance-related bonuses should Plarium achieve predefined sales targets in 2028. 

Updating investors, the company outlined that sale proceeds will be deployed “consistent with Aristocrat’s long-term growth strategy and established capital management framework.” The Annual General Meeting takes place next week, on 20 February 2025, and the board plans to provide a further update on capital management. 

Aristocrat Restructures Big Fish Games Following Strategic Review

As part of the Group’s strategic review, Aristocrat has announced the restructuring of Big Fish Games operations. The internal investment will be “significantly reduced,” and instead, the studio will focus solely on the “continued, efficient and profitable” operation of its existing titles. 

Following the strategic review, Aristocrat’s corporate reporting will also shift. Pixel United’s remaining corporate team structure and reporting will be dissolved, effective for the six months to 31 March 2025. In place of Pixel United will be Product Madness, which will include results from the Group’s core social slots business and Big Fish Games.

From an accounting perspective, Plarium’s results will be excluded from the calculation of Net Profit after Tax and Before Amortisation of Acquired Intangibles. 

Trevor Croker, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Aristocrat commented: “With the completion of the strategic review of our casual and mid-core gaming assets, Aristocrat is well placed to accelerate our refreshed growth strategy. We are deepening management focus and targeting investment behind our core strengths in regulated gaming and gaming-themed content to unlock new and adjacent opportunities across global markets.”

He continued: “The outcomes of the review reflect Aristocrat’s ongoing focus on driving shareholder value, with the benefit of clear choices and a commitment to growth.” 

Aristocrat Eyes Global Expansion for Licensed NFL Slot Machines

Last month the Aristocrat Gaming segment of the group announced the expansion of its NFL-themed slot portfolio outside of continental United States of America.

Thirteen of Puerto Rico’s brick-and-mortar casinos now boast Aristocrat’s NFL Triple Score game on the Jackpot del Encanto link. The game features a progressive jackpot on the link and begins at $20,000, rising as more people play. 

The company plans to broaden the reach of its officially licensed NFL slots to Latin America and Europe later in 2025.

Written By

Matt Bastock

Matt is a casino and sports betting expert with over two decades’ writing and editing experience. He loves getting into the nitty gritty of how casinos and sportsbooks really operate in order to make solid recommendations based on real experiences. His favourite games are blackjack and poker, and he loves watching NFL and soccer in his spare time.

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Gaming Technologies Association (GTA) members Aristocrat Leisure, eBet, International Game Technology (IGT) and Light & Wonder will participate in the trial, which will see cashless gaming tested at 4,500 electronic gaming machines as part of the government’s player protection, social responsibility and AML objectives.

Cashless gaming trials will be conducted at 4,500 electronic gaming machines across NSW, and form part of a wider objective held by the state government to enhance player protection and socially responsible gaming in the state.

Jinesh Patel, CEO of GTA, said: “The focus for GTA is to ensure a fair and balanced path for gaming technology in Australia. The trial is complex and costly but we are committed to finding a path forward and working with the NSW Government.

“GTA is proud to contribute to the NSW Panel and its members are committed to seeing Australia’s first statewide trial succeed.”

Bolstering player protection had been identified as a key objective by the NSW Labour Party prior to the elections in March of this year, and upon winning the vote the party began implementing its plans.

The NSW Independent Panel on Gaming Reform was created to oversee the rollout of regulatory changes and adoption of safer gambling measures. Back in October, the state government committed AU$100m to safer gambling initiatives.

This figure included a $6.4m commitment to examining the rollout of cashless gaming at various venues across the state, with 28 locations – 20 clubs and eight hotels, including small regional clubs and larger ones with over 300 machines – selected.

According to the GTA, the cashless trials will consider a range of factors, including impacts on employees, infrastructure and technology costs across different venue types, with respect to ‘stringent cybersecurity requirements’.

Michael Foggo, Panel Chair and former NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing Commissioner, said: “The independent panel – which comprises key industry, law enforcement, community, and harm minimisation representatives – has been buoyed by the large number of applications it received for the trial.

“This demonstrates the depth of genuine support this trial has in the industry and its commitment to addressing gambling harm and money laundering. We look forward to working with the trial participants in the coming months and monitoring and gaining insights from this important project.”

This latest set of trials follows similar rollouts at the Wests Newcastle and Club York, covering 250 gaming machines, and the government hopes that the next set will provide further insights into the use of cashless tech to counter money laundering and reduce gambling harm.

Previous efforts in this area have included a reduction in the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for new poker machines from July 2023, and a lowering of the statewide cap on gambling entitlements by more than 3,000.

The government has also banned political donations from clubs involved in gaming, has removed VP gaming signage across the state, and has invested $100m in gambling harm minimisation over a four-year period.

Richard Harris, State Minister for Gaming, said: “This trial is bigger, broader and delivers nine times more machines than we committed to during the election campaign. The Independent Panel has lit the next step in our reform agenda. I want to thank Mr Foggo and the Panel for their ongoing work coming together to build consensus.

“The strong interest in participating in the cashless gaming trial proves just how serious clubs and hotels are about working with the Government to reduce gambling harm and money laundering associated with electronic gaming machines.

“The industry is clearly behind us as we undergo these landmark gaming reforms as part of our commitment to addressing money laundering and gambling harm in NSW.”

Australian gambling reforms are also impacting the sector at a national level with regards to payments. Earlier this month, the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2023 was approved by the Senate, paving the way for a ban on credit card payments for gaming with the exception of lotteries.

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Anaxi’s Mobile on-Premise solution will allow casino players on tribal property to connect to Aristocrat’s Class-II gaming content via their mobile devices.

Building upon an existing partnership between the Chickasaw Nation and Aristocrat, WinStar players will now gain access to three titles via the solution – Mr Money Bags, Polar High Roller and Hot Red Ruby.

“Our commitment to both guest and operator experience is at the heart of everything we do,” commented Josh Morris, SVP of iGaming Product & Technology – Anaxi.

“Groundbreaking partnerships of this kind are the driving force in continuing to move our industry forward, and we’re eager to see our Mobile on-Premise solution now live, helping elevate the gaming experience offered by tribal gaming operators.

“We also thank our integration partners that have been part of this journey, helping to deliver this innovation solution.” 

Anaxi further highlighted that additional titles will be added to the partnership for WinStar players to enjoy over time.

Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Commerce, Dan Boren, added: “We are constantly looking to improve the player experience across our properties.

“The approval last year by the National Indian Gaming Commission for alternate technical standards for the Chickasaw Nation Office of the Gaming Commissioners applicable to Class II mobile gaming provides us with the flexibility to take advantage of modern technology.

“There’s no denying that the mobile gaming trend is here to stay, so we’re thrilled to launch this first-ever mobile offering with our WinStar guests and look forward to expanding upon this partnership with Anaxi in the future.”

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GiG

GiG has appointed Jonas Warrer as its acting group CEO, replacing Richard Brown who stepped down from the CEO position earlier this month.

Brown’s departure as CEO was announced earlier this year and comes as GiG splits itself into two separate companies – GiG Platform & Sportsbook and GiG Media.

Warrer currently serves as CEO of GiG Media and will take on dual responsibility until the split is complete. He has been a part of the company since September 2017 following the acquisition of Rebel Penguin Aps, where he was Founder and Managing Director. 

Petter Nylander, Executive Chairman of GiG, stated: “We are very pleased to appoint Jonas as acting CEO through the process of splitting GiG into two distinct entities to enhance future expansion and drive shareholder value, in addition to his role as head of GiG Media.

“He has long experience within GiG and the industry and has been part of GiG’s executive management for four years.”

Bally’s Corporation

Bally’s Corporation has hired Don Westcott and Tammi Barlow to the roles of SVP, Global Chief Compliance Officer and VP of Global Responsibility and Social Impact, respectively. 

Westcott has over 25 years of experience in the gaming and financial services industries, joining from Nuvei where he was Global Head of Compliance. 

Meanwhile, Barlow joins Bally’s from Rush Street Interactive where she led the operator’s CSR strategy, including its RG policies. 

“On behalf of the entire leadership team, I am pleased to welcome Don and Tammi to Bally’s,” commented Kim M Barker, EVP and Chief Legal Officer at Bally’s.

“Their deep expertise enables Bally’s to continue our progress toward building industry-leading compliance, responsible gaming and social impact functions as the company continues to grow and expand.”

The Star Entertainment Group

The Star Entertainment Group has announced the proposed appointment of Hamish Macdonald, as its new Group Company Secretary, subject to necessary regulatory approvals being obtained. 

Macdonald brings legal, regulatory and governance experience to the role, having previously held the positions of General Counsel and Company Secretary for the New Zealand Stock Exchange and Chair of the NZX Corporate Governance Institute.

Until all necessary approvals have been obtained, Jennie Yuen will remain responsible for communication with the Australian Stock Exchange.

The Star also announced that Nawal Silfani has accepted a Strategic Governance role with the operator.

Aristocrat Leisure

Aristocrat Leisure has hired Superna Kalle to the position of Chief Strategy & Content Officer, effective from 9 October.

Reporting directly to CEO & Managing Director Trevor Croker, Kalle was previously with Sony Pictures Entertainment for 16 years, holding leadership positions in corporate development, before growing SPE’s television networks businesses in India, Japan and across Asia, as well as leading the company’s US networks. 

More recently, she was the President of streaming company Starz International, leading its rollout in over 60 countries.

Commenting on her appointment, Croker said: “I am delighted to welcome a global executive of Superna Kalle’s calibre to Aristocrat, and to our leadership team. Superna will play a pivotal role in driving our group growth strategy and leveraging Aristocrat’s industry-leading intellectual property across our operations as a key part of this effort. 

“Superna is a global digital media executive with more than 20 years of experience driving transformational growth, both as an operational and strategy leader. Superna has a track record of maximising the strategic value of content across a range of consumer media verticals. I look forward to her contribution and congratulate her warmly on her appointment.”

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Group-wide revenue rose 98 per cent from $31.3m to $62m, which NeoGames attributes to a significant expansion of its operational reach following the business combination with Aspire Global, substantially bolstering its igaming offering.

This was reflected in the company’s gaming revenue, standing at $34m, with Aspire Global accounting for the majority of this. The acquisition of the solutions provider in last June incorporated several new igaming brands and products into NeoGames’ portfolio, such as Pariplay and Aspire Core.

Notable developments for NeoGames igaming holdings during the quarter included Aspire’s debut US deal with Playlive Online Casino in Pennsylvania, its first slot licence in Germany and a partnership with casino operator Metropolitan Gaming in the UK. 

Meanwhile, Pariplay secured a content aggregation deal with prominent South African operator SunBet.

Further headline results included adjusted EBITDA of $18m, up 75 per cent on $10m the year prior, whilst the firm was able to significantly cut its net loss from $13m to $8m, a reduction of 39 per cent.

“We are very pleased with the achievements and partnerships that defined and drove our second quarter results,” said Moti Malul, NeoGames CEO.

“Our continued commitment to innovation and excellence has paved the way for expansion across various global markets, with progress during the second quarter of 2023 across all of our business lines, including BtoBet, Pariplay, Aspire Core, as well as NeoPollard Interactive.”

On the lottery side of the business, NeoGames flagship operation increased its revenue 8 per cent from $12.8m to $13.8m, whilst its share in NeoPollard Interactive revenue rose 38 per cent from $10m to $14m. Total revenue from this segment stood at $28m, up 21 per cent on $22m the year prior.

Lottery operations were further bolstered by a range of partnerships signed during the quarter, including an extension of NPI’s arrangement with the Virginia Lottery to include Pariplay content aggregation services.

Additional lottery deals included a four year partnership with Lotteries Entertainment Innovation Alliance AS, providing instant games to the French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish lotteries, and an instant launch with Canada’s Atlantic Lottery Corporation.

Malul continued: “The agreements we signed with our iLottery customers and new notable igaming entities, such as AGLC, the Virginia Lottery, SunBet, PlayLive! and Metropolitan Gaming demonstrates the trust and confidence our partners place in our cutting-edge solutions. 

“Furthermore, securing our igaming licence for slot games in Germany represented a significant milestone, reaffirming our position as a leader in the European regulated online gaming industry. 

“This commitment to deliver world-class gaming experiences was further demonstrated by our partnership with Lotteries Entertainment Innovation Alliance, to provide content to prominent European lotteries in France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.”

Post quarterly developments could see NeoGames come under new ownership this year, as the firm’s shareholders have approved a proposed combination agreement with Aristocrat Leisure.

A second investor vote is needed to approve the transaction, which would see NeoGames become a privately held entity of ASX enterprise Aristocrat, as well as relocate from its founding country of Luxembourg to the Cayman Islands.

Malul concluded: “We are excited about the future and the potential it holds for our company’s continued success. We continue taking steps towards completing our merger with Aristocrat Gaming, which we expect to be completed during the first half of fiscal year 2024.

“In the meantime, we remain dedicated to elevating the igaming landscape, capitalising on opportunities, and executing on our strategic goals for all stakeholders.”

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Soft2Bet

Soft2Bet has appointed Damian Finan as Director of VIP and Sales, bringing in over 15 years of gaming experience.

Finan’s previous roles include VIP Management with PokerStars and leading Genesis Global’s VIP department. 

He is tasked with building upon Soft2Bet’s growth and producing a VIP and Sales strategy to elevate the company’s status.

Finan remarked: “I’m pleased to be given this opportunity to step into a leading role in a company as dynamic and forward-thinking as Soft2Bet. It’s an exciting time for the company and I am equally excited to help push it to the next level.”

Aristocrat Leisure

Aristocrat Leisure has added Jennifer Aument to its board as a Non-Executive Director, citing international industry experience.

Aument brings over 25 years of experience in the development, delivery and operations of major infrastructure assets to Aristocrat. 

She also has experience in both Australian and US publicly traded companies, having most recently served as Chief Executive of consulting firm AECOM.

Aristocrat Chairman, Neil Chatfield, said: “I am delighted that Jennifer has agreed to join the Aristocrat board. Jennifer has a particular understanding of US and Australian environments, the complexities of supply chains and the delivery of major projects, and is a thought leader in the use of consumer digital technology. Jennifer also brings strong government relations and public affairs capabilities. 

“Jennifer is an impressive, people-oriented business leader, with a track record of active community engagement. I am pleased to welcome Jennifer to Aristocrat and look forward to her contribution to our ongoing success.”

Marker Trax

Marker Trax has hired Val Apoderado as Vice President of IT Operations and Engineering.

Joining in February, Apoderado will be tasked with planning and executing all technical operations and quality assurance initiatives. He will also advise on all processes, systems, and data issues alongside the ongoing product performance and enhancement.

Marker Trax President, Charlie Skinner, stated: “The crux of our success is managing and tracking customers’ credit activities, and having robust, secure, and regulatory-compliant systems in place to manage that data is of paramount importance.

“With Val leading these focused efforts, we’re taking another step forward in our industry-leading position in the cashless credit gaming sector.”

BETER

BETER Live has named Edvardas Sadovskis as Chief Product Officer.

With more than a decade of experience, Sadovskis joins BETER Live from BetGames, where he rose from Studio Coordinator to Head of Product for Betgames & Showgames over ten years, working across various teams from studio to customer service, business development and product. 

As Chief Product Officer, Sadovskis will oversee the product roadmap, manage product teams and ensure live content meets and exceeds operator and player expectations.

Anna Vikmane, Director at BETER Live, said: “I am delighted to welcome Edvardas to the team and for him to take charge of our product teams and roadmaps. Given his extensive knowledge and passion for sports and games of chance, Edvardas is an ideal fit not only for the Live Casino business unit but also for the whole BETER company.

“I have no doubt that his expertise will lead to the development of exciting new products in the near future.”

GeoComply

GeoComply has appointed cybercrime expert and former US Secret Service Special Agent Michael Dawson as a Law Enforcement Liaison.

Joining GeoComply’s Risk Services team, Dawson previously spent over 23 years with the Secret Service, becoming a leading investigator of cybercrime, fraud, and money laundering related to cryptocurrencies.

“While automating fraud alerts is a big part of what we do to protect our customers, we have found that machines still don’t learn as fast as fraud evolves,” said GeoComply’s Director of Risk Services, Danny DiRienzo.

“Our fraud-fighting capabilities are therefore rooted in a blend of human analysis meshed with the very best that data science can provide.”

Dawson commented: “This feels like such a good fit for me because it allows me to continue the fight against fraud using GeoComply’s cutting-edge technology. Geolocation is such an effective tool. If more of the banks and platforms I helped had used GeoComply, it would have made investigations a lot simpler and the life of the criminals a lot harder.”

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This comes after a “comprehensive global search” identified Denby as the standout candidate, with the firm praising an “outstanding enterprise leader” during her Aristocrat tenure.

Denby joined the company in February 2015 as General Manager of Planning and Reporting, before becoming General Manager of Group Financial three years later. Earlier this year, Denby was promoted to Aristocrat Deputy Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to joining the firm, she led finance teams at Nine MSN and GE, the latter across both Australian and European business units. 

Trevor Croker, Aristocrat CEO & Managing Director, explained: “I am thrilled to appoint Sally Denby as Chief Financial Officer of Aristocrat and welcome her to our executive leadership team. 

“Over her successful career at Aristocrat, Sally has proven to be an outstanding enterprise leader and a trusted finance partner. 

“Sally’s cultural impact, deep engagement with our operating businesses and understanding of our obligations as an ASX listed company further add to her credentials. 

“In particular, as Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Sally has worked effectively with myself and our leaders in supporting the execution of our growth strategy and ensuring seamless continuity post the departure of our previous CFO in April. 

“A comprehensive global search identified Sally as the best candidate to step into the role, at this exciting time in Aristocrat’s growth journey. I congratulate Sally on her appointment and look forward to her ongoing contribution to Aristocrat.”

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This comes as positive news for Playtech, which hit another hurdle in its search for a buyer last week when Hong Kong investment fund TBB Investments – which remains a shareholder in the firm – withdrew its bid, citing ‘challenging underlying market conditions’.

Jordan had apparently come close to making a 750p-per-share offer for the company in February via his JKO Play investment vehicle, co-owned with fellow Irish businessman Keith O’Loughlin.

However, despite Playtech extending the deadline for JKO to make an offer from January 5 to January 26, Jordan withdrew his bid for the company – which apparently paved the way for Playtech’s preferred option, a takeover by Australian firm Aristocrat Leisure. 

The company had delayed shareholder voting on Aristocrat’s £2.7bn bid twice in order to give JKO more time to make a firm offer. The latter reportedly secured the financial support of Indian businessman and Party Gaming Co-Founder Vikrant Bhargava in order to put together a bid of over £3bn to entice Aristocrat shareholders. 

Ultimately, however,Aristocrat’s offer was rejected by a large number of Playtech shareholders, with a number of Asian investors apparently dissatisfied with the arrangement, and the company failing to secure the required approval of 75% of stakeholders. 

Meanwhile, although TBB has withdrawn its bid, the firm has stated that it will continue to support Playtech’s board and executive management, who are predicting core earnings above €200m in H1 interim trading results. 

Commenting at the time of TTB’s withdrawal, Mor Weizer, Group CEO of Playtech, maintained confidence in Playtech’s prospects moving forward.

“Playtech carries strong momentum going into H2 2022 and continues to perform very well across its core B2B and B2C businesses,” he said. 

“We remain confident in our long-term growth prospects and, in particular, our ability to benefit from the structured agreements that are already allowing Playtech to access newly opened gambling markets.”

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The agreement, with financial terms not being disclosed, will see IGT be able to offer licences to the company’s combined game feature and RGS patent portfolios to the gaming sector around the globe. 

Renato Ascoli, IGT CEO Global Gaming, commented: “This agreement extends and expands the previous patent cross-license between IGT and Aristocrat. 

“This combination of two of the gaming industry’s most valuable game features and RGS patent portfolios can help propel the evolution of gaming with compelling content and advanced game mechanics.

“We look forward to providing the entire gaming industry with the opportunity to licence IGT and Aristocrat patents, particularly the compelling content resulting from our combined RGS portfolios, in the spirit of competition and innovation.”

The agreement follows closely after IGT entered into a definitive agreement to acquire iSoftBet which could see its PlayDigital portfolio more than double. 

Reported to be approximately €160m in cash, the acquisition is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

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