Going Mobile Is Paying Dividends

It seems like an unquestionable truth now that if you want your business to fully thrive in the online world then having a mobile-centric option is a must. It’s no longer just an added bonus, it’s crucial to success in an age where almost anything can be done from the phone you carry around in your pocket.

Australian businesses are reaping the rewards for their foray into the mobile market, proving that moving with the times can often be fruitful despite the initial outlay being substantial.

Aussie gaming firm Aristocrat has announced huge profit increases, with part of their growth being attributed to their focus on handheld gaming functionality. A US$1.3 billion acquisition of VGT has also helped them to push forward and increase their overall revenue. By adding mobile games to their gaming machines and other operations, they have managed to up their market share and boost profits by a third up to $77 million.

Chief executive Jamie Odell said that, ‘accelerating operational momentum across key markets and segments,’ was crucial, and this combines adding iPhone and iPad software, as well as staying true to pop culture with offerings such as Game of Thrones and Big Bang Theory keeping them on trend.

Not content to rest on their laurels, Aristocrat have since announced that they will be looking for even bigger purchases, since the previously mentioned VGT deal has helped the company so much.

   by mikecogh

With pokies being such a divisive past-time in Australia, literally in many ways with an East – West split, game manufacturers saw a way to increase their revenue by taking a share from the West. There’s the market to take advantage of, and Aristocrat are one that have seized on it and proven its efficacy.

Although play has declined on physical machines recently, a study last year found pokies still made up 60% of all gambling revenue in Australia. However, the move to online favours the kind of companies that are forward thinking and willing to take those first steps early.

The Aristocrat investors are more than happy with how it has served their company, and their widely published recent success will have some of the ailing brands scrambling to follow suit, although there’s always the chance that the market could have already passed them by by the time they try to catch up.