(AsiaGameHub) –   Aristocrat Leisure continues to be confident about reaching a $1bn revenue target for its Interactive segment within the next three years. Even amid challenging global regulatory conditions, the company is aiming for fiscal year 2029 to achieve this ambitious goal. The $1bn target includes revenues from the NeoPollard Interactive Joint Venture, as the supplier remains committed to expanding its content and investing in iLottery to support this objective.

During the recent financial earnings call covering the first half of its 2026 reporting period, which ended on 31 March 2026, investors questioned the feasibility of the target and noted that Aristocrat appears to be slightly behind schedule in meeting it.

Momentum building toward the $1bn target

In H1 26, Interactive reported:

• Revenue: $230.3m, up 6.5% year-on-year (YoY) (H1 25: $216.3m).
• Profit: $64.3m, down 10.6% YoY (H1 25: $71.9m).
• Margin: 27.9% (H1 25: 33.2%).

Trevor Croker, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Aristocrat, responded by affirming that the goal remains achievable despite stagnating launches in US iGaming states and regulatory changes in the UK, as well as the time required to execute its technology and games approval processes.

Croker commented: “What we do feel confident about is that we do see scaling of land-based franchises into digital, and we’ve already seen that with some of the land-based games. We’re obviously excited about Lightning Link coming through.

“We’re also focusing on being ready to enter markets as they open. We are currently present in all markets except Rhode Island, but we expect Rhode Island, Maine, and other Canadian provinces to launch soon. 

“At the same time, we now have 94% market access. We believe we’ve built a strong leadership team under Dylan and other executives we’ve brought on board. They are equipped to drive the business toward the $1bn target. Your observation is fair—we are behind where we wanted to be, and we accept that responsibility.

Croker continued: “We also believe that, between ongoing content development, the iLottery business, and new launches such as Massachusetts and Michigan going live in July, Colorado’s open RFP process, and further scaling of these operations, these factors will help us reach the $1bn target. 

“The platforms business is stable, but adding new capabilities like gaming analytics will help enhance performance and generate additional momentum toward the $1bn goal. 

“In summary, we’ve sharpened our focus on this objective. We’ve recruited the right talent, organized our commercial teams, and established a clear path to achieve the controllable elements needed to meet the target.”

CEO remains confident in Europe

Investors also raised concerns about how the target could be achieved given European regulatory changes—including tax increases—and whether Aristocrat’s market share could realistically reach high single digits.

Croker expressed confidence that Interactive operations would succeed in Europe despite these challenges, starting with the upcoming launch of Lightning Link later this year.

The CEO stated: “When opportunities in iGaming are as significant as ours, it’s crucial to maintain focus. We’ve concentrated on North America, Canada, and the UK.

“Your assessment about Europe is accurate. There are several evolving regulatory issues across Europe, particularly regarding changing tax regimes in various countries and shifts in market access. 

“We do believe our land-based content will resonate well in iGaming, and we’ve already seen early signs of this success. We expect this trend to become even more evident when we launch Lightning Link later this year. Europe is indeed part of our growth strategy.

“Our focus remains on securing our rightful position in North America and Canada—markets close to our core strengths—and on strengthening our presence in Europe. This includes growing both our land-based gaming business, where we hold approximately a 22% share of installed base, and our iGaming footprint in competitive markets. Europe represents a key geographic component of our path to $1bn.”

Q1 financial summary

Overall (in AUD)

• Revenue: $3.028bn (H1 25: $3.035bn).
• EBITA: $1.12bn, up 6.2% YoY (H1 25: $1.05bn).
• Margin: 36.9% (H1 25: 34.7%).
• Profit: $794m, up 8.4% YoY (H1 25: $732.6m).

Aristocrat Gaming

• Revenue: $1.96bn, up 4.9% YoY (H1 25: $1.87bn).
• Profit: $1.06bn, up 3% YoY (H1 25: $1.03bn).
• Margin: 54.2% (H1 25: 55.2%).

Product Madness (in USD)

• Social casino revenue: $541.7m, up 4.7% YoY (H1 25: $517.4m).
• Social casual revenue: $4.5m, down 91.4% YoY (H1 25: $52.2m). Social casual was sold early in the half.
• Revenue: $546.2m, down 4.1% YoY (H1 25: $569.6m).
• Profit: $253m, up 3.6% YoY (H1 25: $244.3m).
• Margin: 46.3% (H1 25: 42.9%).

Croker concluded: “Looking ahead, we are well-positioned for the full-year and to capitalize on strategic opportunities. Our operating model is enhancing efficiency and scale, and we are increasingly leveraging AI to strengthen our strategic advantages and transform our operations. 

“We remain dedicated to our capital management strategy and our active share buy-back program.”