Aristocrat names UAE among key growth markets in 2026 investor briefing
The Australian supplier told investors it expects new casino openings and expansions in the UAE, Asia and Europe to lift its land-based electronic gaming machine business.
Australia.- Aristocrat Leisure has identified the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as one of its key future growth markets, highlighting the country’s emerging commercial gaming sector as an opportunity for its land-based gaming business.
The Australian-listed company outlined growth opportunities across North America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), as well as emerging markets such as the UAE, during its 2026 Investor Briefing. Its investor presentation identified the UAE among regions where “new openings & expansions” are expected to support growth in its land-based electronic gaming machine (EGM) business. The presentation also identified market share growth across key segments as a strategic priority.
Superna Kalle, chief strategy and content officer at Aristocrat, said the company expects to continue growing in both established and emerging gaming jurisdictions. “We also see additional growth in new gaming markets such as the UAE,” she said.
North America remains central to Aristocrat’s strategy and accounts for more than half of the global EGM market. The company said it has continued to outperform broader market growth, recording a 38 per cent gaming operations market share in North America, a 27 per cent outright sales ship share in the region and a 48 per cent share of ANZ shipments.
Kalle said gaming operations and outright sales in North America have grown by around 9 per cent and 10 per cent respectively since 2019, exceeding overall market growth.
Trevor Croker, chief executive and managing director, said Aristocrat is well positioned to capitalise on opportunities in both mature and emerging gaming markets. “Notwithstanding our leadership position, we see potential for further share gains across both gaming operations and outright sales,” Croker said. He said Aristocrat’s portfolio strength enables the company to secure higher machine allocations at new casino openings as operators optimise gaming floors.
Aristocrat said casino openings and market expansions through FY27 are likely to create additional demand for its electronic gaming machines while supporting continued business growth, alongside opportunities in emerging jurisdictions including the UAE, Asia and Europe.
The company further said its turnaround strategy in the ANZ region has helped lift market share from 30 per cent to 49 per cent during the first quarter of 2026, supported by investment in gaming content, hardware and customer engagement. Croker pointed to the launch of new titles, including Phoenix Link, in New South Wales as part of the company’s product pipeline.
For the six months ended March 2026, Aristocrat reported AU$3.03bn (US$2.1bn) in revenue and an 8.4 per cent increase in net profit after tax and before amortisation of acquired intangibles (NPATA) on a reported-currency basis.
