Ainsworth to pay Aristocrat AU$8.5 million in patent deal

Ainsworth Game Technology has entered into a patent license agreement with Aristocrat, involving a payment of AU$8.5 million. The deal follows a 2025 Federal Court ruling that affirmed the patentability of Aristocrat’s game feature delivery for electronic gaming machines.

Under the terms of the arrangement, Aristocrat has granted Ainsworth a royalty-bearing license to use its Hold & Spin family of game play patents in Australia. This license applies to the manufacturing, sale, servicing, and upgrading of Ainsworth’s branded machines, as well as its online and mobile games within the Australian market.

Additionally, Aristocrat has provided Ainsworth with a royalty-free license for its responsible gaming patents. These include technologies related to safer play, digital wallets, configurable player limits, self-exclusion, and AI-enabled player messaging. Ainsworth CEO Ryan Comstock stated that the agreement provides the company with greater certainty and supports its growth plans in Australia.