Ainsworth secures Aristocrat patent licence, clearing path for Australian growth
Ainsworth Game Technology Limited (ASX: AGI) has entered into a patent licence agreement with Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited and Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (together, Aristocrat), effective immediately from 14 August 2026.
The Ainsworth patent licence agreement covers Aristocrat’s Australian game feature patents, primarily the Aristocrat Hold & Spin™ patent family, and includes a settlement and release from potential claims relating to the historic use of those patents in the Australian market.
The headline cost is an aggregate of A$8,500,000, payable in instalments across the three-and-a-half-year term of the arrangement. For investors, the deal removes a layer of legal uncertainty and de-risks AGI’s Australian growth strategy by settling potential patent claims and securing access to sought-after game features.
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What the agreement delivers
The structure is a two-way cross-licence combined with a mutual settlement. Both companies grant each other licences over their respective patents for use in Australia, and both are released from claims relating to past use.
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licence to Ainsworth | Non-exclusive and non-transferable licence over Aristocrat’s Australian game play feature patents, including the Australian Hold & Spin™ patent family, for Ainsworth branded products in Australia |
| Licence back to Aristocrat | Non-exclusive and non-transferable licence over all of Ainsworth’s patents for Aristocrat branded products in Australia |
| Mutual release | Both parties released from all claims relating to past use of the licensed patents, with a mutual non-challenge covenant over each other’s licensed patents |
| Consideration | A$8,500,000 aggregate, paid in instalments |
| Term | Three and a half years |
The remaining commercial terms of the arrangement stay confidential to the parties.
Pass-through rights and responsible gaming licence
Beyond the core cross-licence, AGI secured two customer-facing benefits that strengthen the commercial value of the deal.
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Pass-through rights: Ainsworth’s customers, distributors and venues are automatically licensed to use, operate, service and resell units supplied during the term of the agreement, giving customers certainty of title as well as continuity.
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Responsible gaming patents (royalty free): A royalty free licence covering Aristocrat’s responsible gaming patents, including digital wallets, account-based play, player limits, self-exclusion, player messaging and AI-based risk detection.
Notably, the responsible gaming licence is durable. According to the Company, it will remain in place until each responsible gaming patent expires, which is well beyond the term of the Agreement.
Why the deal matters to investors
The settlement connects directly to AGI’s strategic growth plans in Australia. By resolving potential patent claims, the arrangement removes an overhang that could otherwise have constrained the Company’s ability to deploy popular game features in its home market.
The H1CY26 trading update released in May 2026 highlighted APAC as the standout regional performer, with revenue growing approximately 4% and its share of group revenue rising to around 31%, underscoring why securing unencumbered access to popular Australian game features carries real commercial weight for AGI at this moment.
The licence allows Ainsworth to incorporate Hold & Spin features across its make, sell, service, upgrade and convert activities for Ainsworth branded electronic game machines and Ainsworth branded online and mobile games in Australia, including when it manufactures and services through third parties. This breadth of coverage supports continuity across the product lifecycle.
Ryan Comstock, CEO
“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.”
Background: how the agreement came about
The agreement followed Aristocrat’s success in the case Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents [2025] FCAFC 131. Following that outcome, Ainsworth and Aristocrat engaged in negotiations relating to the use of Aristocrat’s game feature patents. Those negotiations culminated in the execution of the Agreement.
Understanding gaming patent licences and Hold & Spin
For readers less familiar with the sector, a patent cross-licence is a mutual arrangement where two companies each grant the other permission to use certain patented technologies. In gaming, this matters because machine makers rely heavily on popular game features to attract players and venues.
What comes next
The agreement is effective immediately, with a term running three and a half years and the A$8,500,000 consideration spread across instalment payments over that period.
With the settlement and release from potential claims now in place, AGI’s Australian market growth strategy can proceed with greater legal certainty. The Company has framed the arrangement as providing the confidence required to implement its strategic growth initiatives, positioning it to incorporate the licensed features across its Australian product range without the overhang of unresolved patent claims.
The Aristocrat settlement removes one layer of legal risk for AGI, though investors tracking the company’s overall legal exposure should note that separate Austrian prosecution proceedings involving former management and major shareholder Novomatic AG remain active following an escalation in early 2026.
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