Summerlin, Las Vegas is the site of Aristocrat Technologies Inc.’s new campus as the United States-based subsidiary of Australia ASX-listed Aristocrat Leisure Ltd recently held an opening ceremony for the new $45 million facility.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal…

The event at the 180,000-square-foot Summerlin campus was led by corporate Chairman Dr. Ian Blackburne (pictured below right) who cut a blue ribbon at the ceremony.

Blackburne announces departure:

On October 2, 2018, the gaming machine maker announced that Blackburne would end his nine-year tenure as Aristocrat Chairman at the firm’s annual general meeting scheduled for February 21, 2019. Blackburne will reportedly be replaced by Neil Chatfield, currently a non-executive director of Aristocrat.

Blackburne has advised Aristocrat since 2009 and during his tenure has seen it transform into a “global leader in land-based gaming and an emerging leader within the dynamic and fast-growing social digital industry,” as stated by Blackburne in October when he confirmed his upcoming resignation.

Surge in business:

A significant uptick in business reportedly served as the catalyst for the firm to seek a new home in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada.

Addressing hundreds of Aristocrat employees who were gathered outside of the new campus, Blackburne said…

“What can I say about this campus? You have earned it.”

Recalling the firm’s progress, he added that a decade ago, “We had only one material presence in one part of one segment of this business.”

Company growth:

The release of popular slot games such as Lightning Link and Buffalo has seen the firm take market share from industry leaders including IGT and Scientific Games over the years. The most recent versions of those games, including Dragon Link, have maintained their best seller status today.

The 2014 acquisition of  Video Gaming Technologies for $1.2 billion has also seen the company grow, alongside the release of the modern industrial-styled Helix cabinet and expansion into entertainment slot games, said Todd Eilers, gaming analyst for Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.

Eilers said, ‘’They have been the primary market share gainer over the past five years for sure,’’ according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He reportedly estimates that over the past 10 years, Aristocrat has more than doubled its market share.

 

New Summerlin campus:

Comprising two three-story buildings, the new facility reportedly consolidates a majority of the firm’s roughly 1,100 Las-Vegas employees at a single workplace.

In addition to the two approximately 90,000 square feet buildings, a park at 10200 Aristocrat Way, named Blackburne Park, after the Aristocrat Leisure chairman, is part of the campus in the Summerlin district.

Major acquisitions:

In January this year, on the heels of concluding its $500 million acquisition of Israeli firm Plarium Global Limited,  Aristocrat Technologies Inc. announced the completion of its $990 million all-cash takeover of fellow social online games developer Big Fish Games Incorporated. The deal making the Las Vegas-based company the world’s second largest provider of social online games behind Israel-headquartered mobile games company, Playtika.