Published on January 23rd, 2020 | by Bibhuranjan

Trends Search: Aristocrat will present new iGaming solutions in February 2020

Aristocrat Leisure is one of the largest gambling technology companies based in Australia and operating in over 80 countries. They’ve been active in the industry since 1953, got into a position of market dominance, and now not only follow but also set trends for the iGaming industry. Aristocrat’s recent announcement teases the next generation of premium licensed products and platforms to be unveiled in London during a February 2020 show.

As a publicly trading company, they regularly develop investor presentations and offer industry insights. The most recent 2019 report discusses plans for the next decade and a strategic focus on sustainable profits for both gambling and gaming – outlining new plans for game design and technology use. These figures are worth a more in-depth look to find out where gaming technology is headed in 2020 and beyond.

New solutions by Aristocrat is a basis for future trends

The global iGaming market is one of the fastest-growing in the world. Its size has grown over $449.3 billion since 2018, and continues with 4-6% yearly growth. Here are the main segments that will keep high growth rate named by Aristocrat:

Social Casino. US$4.8b with 15% growth, most popular genres being Bingo, Poker, and Social (Facebook, etc.) games.
Casual. US$8.3b with 12% growth, most popular genres being Match 3, Blast, and Line Match type games.
Strategy. US$5.6b with 13% growth, most popular genres being report based titles (choice-driven), and Heroes battler games.
RolePlaying. US$11.4b with -1% growth, the only market in decline, also the largest. Popular genres are Collectible Card Games and Massively Multiplayer Games.
Action. US$6.5b with 23% growth, most popular genres being Arena, Battle Royale, Card Battlers, and Shooter titles.
Simulation. US$3.6b with 9% growth, most popular genres being Casual Sims (management), and Sports titles.

Because of market positioning, Aristocrat can afford to set new trends in the largest segments. They own the Big Fish social casino and popular mobile games such as Vikings: War of Clans, among other titles. Aristocrat’s focus for 2020 and beyond is not only with casino games and gambling but also with mobile titles and casual mobile entertainment.

Since the early 2010s, the Australian company has been working on unregulated digital markets and purchasing new properties to go after new audiences. In the 2020s, they can start capitalizing on these acquisitions, staying ahead of the industry at large.

Aristocrat Performance Review

Aristocrat Digital portfolio includes nine so-called «Evergreen» titles that continuously bring revenues. These include popular mobile games like Raid Shadow Legends, Sparta, Vikings: War of Clans, Big Fish Casino, Heart of Vegas, and others. Profits from these titles surpass $1.23 billion in bookings, with a 6% yearly growth.

Besides, they have another four titles in soft launch and operate 10 Design & Development studios globally. All these figures point toward a broader focus on mobile and social gaming markets, further acquiring new licensed properties and growing the player bases.

When it comes to land-based casino activities, Aristocrat has 48,218 installed gaming ops units in over 300 licensed jurisdictions. Their Casino Management Systems are used in 80 countries, with land-based operations bringing over $3.6 billion in revenues throughout 2019. Over 200,000 Aristocrat electronic gambling machines are installed in North America alone.

Aristocrat’s overall 2019 performance shows a 23% growth in Group Revenue, a 20% rise in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, and a 16% rise in operating cash flow (over $1 billion). All of this corresponded with dividends to shareholders up 22% by the end of the year.

Core Games Preview

Aristocrat Leisure is set to present new game concepts during the February 2020 ICE Show in London. As Ian Adams, Product, and Marketing director stated in the press release:

«Our D&D teams have built on previous successes with a balance of proven and brand-new maths models and, taking advantage of new hardware technologies, delivering more advanced audio-visual packages to satiate players’ evolving demands for engaging gaming entertainment. » Source: Aristocrat

New Arc Canopy designs are expected to improve player experiences casino floors, with new slot families dubbed MarsX, Edge X, flame55, Arc Single, Helix XT, Helix+, Helix Tower. What this announcement means in terms of licensed games remains to be seen in February. Still, so far, it’s fair to expect new spins on popular cabinets like Buffalo, Miss Kitty, 5 Dragons, and other successful Vegas slots.

Previews during the February ICE Show will be hands-on, with visitors able to test drive new machines before they see more comprehensive releases throughout 2020.

Game Trends to Expect in 2020

While Aristocrat is at the forefront of developing new technologies, the new decade looks like it will integrate iGaming, video games, and casino activities into new forms of entertainment that haven’t been tried before. Here are a few trends to pay attention to:

Skill-based gaming. Video Games such as old-school arcades have finally caught up with slot games, with new iGaming titles geared towards the Millennial generation.
Cryptocurrency use. Online casinos are introducing a cryptocurrency to their models, with even some land-based offering Bitcoin and other crypto-payment options.
Habit changing. More players gamble online and use cashless payment options. Additionally, physical machines are in decline, with on-demand activities rising.
Virtual and Augmented reality. As technology becomes more affordable, more games get adaptations or are developed from scratch to capitalize on it.
Interactivity. Now casinos can not only observe but also predict player behaviors. It creates games that change based on the playstyle and interests of a given user.
Artificial Intelligence. Introductions of AI will bring adaptive game development, accurate analytics, as well as personalization on casino floors.

These changes are important for slot machine manufacturers in particular, as millions of users play Aristocrat pokies online for free here. Their slot games are available for Android and regularly get new software updates, unlike the physical machine releases. Modern users prefer to play with no download and no registration, picking games from a slot machine list rather than walking around a casino floor.

In general, these trends show a shift in player interests, which Aristocrat Leisure is preparing to participate in actively. Instead of sticking with the old formula, they’re improving their digital game portfolio and preparing for the inevitable demographic shift throughout the 2020s.

Tags: casino, gambling, iGaming, internet gaming, money

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.