Australian slot machine manufacturer Ainsworth Game Technology (AGT) will pay Aristocrat AU$8.5 million for the use of certain patents owned by Aristocrat, including game features such as Hold & Spin, following negotiations between the two parties.
The agreement between AGT and Aristocrat entities Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited and Aristocrat Technologies, Inc follows a 2025 Federal Court decision which found that Aristocrat patents related to how they provide feature games on electronic gaming machines were patentable.
AGT said in a Friday filing that the parties had in the wake of this ruling engaged in negotiations relating to the use of Aristocrat’s game feature patents, culminating in the execution of the agreement.
The agreement provides AGT with a license to the relevant Aristocrat patents and the settlement and release from potential claims relating to the historic use of those patents in the Australian market.
“The Agreement we have entered into with Aristocrat, which is effective immediately, provides us with the certainty required to confidently implement our strategic growth initiatives in the Australian market,” said AGT’s CEO, Ryan Comstock.
“The Agreement primarily covers game features including the Aristocrat Hold & Spin family and ensures we can incorporate these features when we make, sell, service, upgrade and convert Ainsworth branded electronic game machines and Ainsworth branded online and mobile games in Australia including when we manufacture and service through third parties.
“We have also secured pass through rights which means Ainsworth’s customers, distributors and venues are automatically licensed to use, operate, service and resell units supplied during the term of the agreement giving our customers certainty of title as well as continuity.
“Importantly we have also obtained a royalty free licence of Aristocrat’s responsible gaming patents such as digital wallets, account-based play, player limits, self-exclusion, player messaging and AI based risk detection. This licence will remain in place until each responsible gaming patent expires, which is well beyond the term of the agreement.”
Among its terms, the agreement sees Aristocrat grant AGT a non-exclusive and non-transferable licence that covers Aristocrat’s Australian game play feature patents, including its Australian Hold & Spin patent family, for Ainsworth branded products in Australia. Similarly, AGT has granted Aristocrat a non-exclusive and non-transferable licence over all of Ainsworth’s patents for Aristocrat branded products in Australia.
RelatedPosts
