Sydney-based Aristocrat Leisure Limited is one of the world’s largest pokie machine manufacturers and by far the largest in Australia.

Now, the major player has moved to expand its reach with an agreement to acquire Roxor Gaming Software, a studio that specializes in iGaming entertainment.

In an official statement, the Aristocrat Leisure Limited group affirmed its intention to diversify its operations by growing its presence in the iGaming sector.

The acquisition of Roxor is not yet in effect though, as both companies await regulatory approvals to proceed. Aristocrat revealed that it expects this to happen by the first quarter of 2023.

Vital acquisition

Roxor Gaming emerged as an independent contender in the iGaming field in September 2019. The developer was previously a subcontractor of Gamesys for over two decades, before striking out on its own. The company operates mainly in the competitive UK and US markets and already boasts a portfolio of 150 games under RNG. The selection of gaming content includes an impressive range of pokies, table games, scratch cards, and video poker.

The pokies make up the largest portion of Roxor’s portfolio, with top-performing titles like Secrets of the Phoenix, Double Bubble and Tiki Island among others.

Arriving in style

Aristocrat will debut as a competitor in the global iGaming market at G2E Las Vegas 2022. The company will announce its arrival by launching eight popular titles, such as the Wild Wild series, Miss Kitty, Sun & Moon, and Timber Wolf, all digital versions of popular Aristocrat pokie machines.

The company also plans to showcase its Customer Experience Solutions (CXS), a complete solution that enables all operators to enhance their online and in-person entertainment offerings for guests.​

Global leader in gambling technology, Aristocrat Leisure, has finalized an agreement for its acquisition of UK-based iGaming developer, Roxor Gaming.

The financial details of the deal are still under wraps, however, Aristocrat did reveal that this development will step up its iGaming expansion strategy.

Roxor is a fairly young company which was established in 2019 by Noel Hayden, the former chairman and co-founder of Gamesys. Roxor was previously an in-house studio for Gamesys Group.

Since Roxor went independent, the studio has released content in New Jersey, with further expansion plans for the North American and UK markets.

Aristocrat’s online real-money gaming chief executive, Mitchell Bowen, commented on the deal, saying,

“Roxor is a great fit for Aristocrat and this acquisition is another step forward in Aristocrat’s strategy to scale in online RMG. “We look forward to growing together with the talented Roxor team.”

Noel Hayden added his thoughts, commenting,

“I am delighted to see this deal signed as I feel it brings together two great companies that complement each other perfectly. Roxor holds a very important place in my heart as the team and the games we have built have delivered so much to so many over the last 20 years. I couldn’t be more excited for Roxor Gaming and the road ahead.”

Expansive Moves

This latest deal is one in a series that has seen Aristocrat expand its presence in the global iGaming market. The company confirmed as much when announcing its first-half financial results in May when it laid out the acceleration of its “build-and-buy” strategy for online gambling.

Aristocrat had attempted to acquire iGaming monolith Playtech earlier in the year. However, Playtech’s shareholders sunk the deal, leaving Aristocrat to pursue further online opportunities, and to subsequently launch a new online real-money gaming (RMG) division.​

Among its myriad of pokie machine franchises, Aristocrat’s Choy game franchise stands out, thanks to its vibrant Asian imagery and top-rated bonus features and jackpots.

Now, their cheery protagonist, Choy, is off on a brand-new adventure in an exciting new experience, enriched with a Super Hold & Spin experience. Chase after gold money bags that activate up to four Hold & Spin games with a massive jackpot waiting in the wings. To add to the excitement, the Choose Your Volatility free spins to offer you even more winning options than ever before.

After you’ve tried out the new title, you might want to dive into the rest of Choy’s exploits. Try Dancing Foo, which comes with expanding wilds, Lunar festival that boasts multiple jackpot levels, or Tiger Reign, which features an exciting pick-me jackpot game. These are just a few titles available in the series, so make sure to look out for the others when visiting your favourite casino.

Bringing Back the Classics

Aristocrat also recently revealed that it would be reintroducing three is its most iconic classic games to the Australia / New Zealand Market.

The pokie manufacturer’s Cash Express Luxury Line was on display at the recent Australasian Gaming Expo in Sydney and heralded the return of the games Where’s the Gold, Queen of the Nile, and 50 Lions, which have been recreated with multi-denomination and popular Hold ‘n’ Spin feature enhancements.

John Stevanja, Aristocrat’s Director of Product Marketing & Strategy ANZ & APAC said,

“Luxury Line is a fantastic product from Mojo Studio in the US, bringing back an iconic game family like Cash Express with three titles under it that are well-known Aristocrat brand classics. These games have been redeveloped to include multi-denominations and a Hold ‘n’ Spin feature, so players can have a denomination that is comfortable for them while also getting the full excitement of a Hold and Spin jackpot feature.”

“While the Luxury line game family was originally released in the US, we have very high hopes that this ANZ version will be as successful, if not more successful, than the original version,” he added.​