Aristocrat betting CEO Hector Fernandez told CNBC that digital opportunities are key to the company’s future, as is ensuring its intellectual property rights are protected.
Fernandez said he welcomes competition, but added, “One of the most important things for us is to aggressively defend the intellectual property rights we create.”
The global game maker sued rival Light & Wonder in federal court, accusing it of copyright infringement and claiming that Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train game was too similar to its own Dragon Link game.
The Nevada District Court agreed and issued a preliminary injunction against Light & Wonder in late September. Light & Wonder said it disagreed with the ruling but fired a designer who worked on the game.
Light & Wonder told CNBC it has complied with the court order and plans to modify Dragon Train and restart it in the future.
Shares of casino game makers have generally outperformed those of casino operators this year. Before the September court ruling, Light & Wonder shares were up about 37% year to date. Still up 17% this year.
Shares in Australia-listed Aristocrat have risen 41% this year.
Fernandez also told CNBC that the company is targeting digital opportunities as part of its overall strategy. According to the agency, despite the fact that online casino gambling in the United States, known as iGaming, is licensed in only six states, its gross gaming revenue is growing almost as fast as sports betting. American Gaming Association.
FanDuel, the national iGaming market share leader, said at its investor day in September that its most popular online games are typically the brands that gamblers play at brick-and-mortar casinos.
Fernandez told CNBC that his priority is to create game content that attracts players and convinces his customers that these games can be run in casinos.
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