Aristocrat Creates iGaming Division, Shuffles Management

Australia’s Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. announced the creation of a new division dedicated to real-money online gaming, and a shuffling of top management in its gaming division, at the company’s annual general meeting.

Aristocrat, while operating a social/casual gaming division for years, has been alone among the top slot suppliers in delaying the creation of a digital division. Announcement of the new division’s creation follows the failure of Aristocrat’s bid to take over London-based iGaming giant Playtech, PLC.

The new Aristocrat iGaming division will join Aristocrat Gaming, which supplies slots to gaming floors, and Pixel United, the company’s social gaming division, in three units making up Aristocrat Leisure. Heading it will be Mitchell Bowen, who has been CEO of Aristocrat Gaming over the past three years.

Hector Fernandez, the company’s president, Americas for the past two years, will become the new CEO of Aristocrat Gaming. In addition, the former general manager of the company, Tom O’Brien, will become the Americas and EMEA president.