Aristocrat is a famed slot machine and casino games developer based in Sydney, Australia. The gaming software provider has one of the most extensive slot collections globally and is second only to International Game Technology. The company has thousands of gaming cabinets in brick-and-mortar casinos and a similarly vast choice range in online gambling destinations.
The high-quality online games are developed for PC and mobile gambling in a no download mode that eases accessibility. The software company mainly operates in the Australian and New Zealand markets. This Aristocrat review covers everything there is to the developer and its most popular releases.
1953 marked the beginning of Aristocrat when it was established as a gaming company. By 1956, the firm was already making waves in the business with its release of the “Clubmaster”. This gaming machine was the first of its kind and introduced the free-play lock and self-lubricating reel assembly bearings. This invention is far from glamorous by today’s standards, but it was revolutionary at the time. The innovation was the talk of the industry until 1958 when Aristocrat added fuel to the fire by inventing the first poker machine with a scorecard and fully lit reels.
By the time the sixties had come swinging by, Aristocrat had already established itself in the Australian market. It expanded to Europe and set its sights on Las Vegas as the next destination. The production of Aristocrat Nevada began in 1961, and by the end of the decade, it featured cabinets in thriving gambling establishments. The seventies were even more glamourous for the game studio as it released its first-ever five-reel slot machine. Aristocrat’s Wild West slot game was also released in 1979 and achieved global success as one of the first all-electronic game.
From 1980 to 1989, Aristocrat continued to conquer the American and Australian markets and opened a London office. The company also launched its Microstar slot range, highlighting pokie technologies that continue to be used to date. One of the firm’s most innovative changes was the Virtual Reel’s invention that weighted certain symbols. Its introduction to Vegas casino saw slots revenue surpass that of table games in 1983 for the first time in US history.
The 1990s marked the decade when Aristocrat went from a private to a public company. The MK Gaming System released in 1995 catapulted the game studio to new heights of success that ventured it into new markets globally. The firm soon followed with the Hyperlink Gaming System launch, and it is recognized as the most valuable piece of intellectual property commercialized in Australia in history. Hyperlink is ahead of innovations like the bionic ear and Wi-Fi in this respect. The software developer was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1996.
Aristocrat marked the beginning of the 21st century with an operating license for Nevada commissioned in 2000. Now with open markets in Las Vegas, the largest gambling markets, and Macau, a significant contender for the spot, Aristocrat’s global expansion was moving at a considerable pace. Within the same decade, the company faced a global economic crisis that saw a turnaround in its growth.
By 2012, Aristocrat was already on the road to new inventions with the Games Development Kit that became a standard platform for game creation and running third-party game content. The following year, the software developer acquired Product Madness and moved into the mobile, app, and online gambling market. In the coming years, it collected several awards like the Best Standalone Slot Game with Five Dragons Legend and the Casino Product of the Year with the Walking Dead Slot. In 2020, the firm adopted the new name to Aristocrat Gaming and altered its logo to feature a bold and vibrant design.
Aristocrat’s journey to success has been marked by many slot machines that have stood out among its peers. Most of these games fall in the classic category, and they include;
Buffalo is a five-reel, 243-win way pokie featuring traditional visuals that capture Native American culture. The game has the popular Xtra Reel Power feature by Aristocrat that allows players to adjust the number of bet lines and place stakes between 0.01 and 80 credits. Paytable wins go up to 300x the line bet.
5 Dragons is a classic based on the Asian cultural view of the dragon as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Players can chase favour with this mythical beast using stakes between 1.00 and 90 credits on five reels and 25 bet lines. The poker face cards A to 9 award payouts up to 200x the line stake while the theme-oriented items pay up to 800x. A card suit and colour-guessing gamble feature activates with each win.
The green dragon appears as the 5 Dragons wild that can substitute any other icon. The gold coin is the only irreplaceable symbol since it is the scatter, which triggers the free spins bonus. Players get to choose from the following packages with different freebies and multiplier values:
Package Name | Free Spins | Attached Multipliers |
Yellow Dragon | 5 | 10x, 15x, 30x |
Blue Dragon | 8 | 8x, 10x, 15x |
Black Dragon | 10 | 5x, 8x, 10x |
Red Dragon | 15 | 3x, 5x, 8x |
White Dragon | 20 | 2x, 3x, 5x |
Queen of the Nile is a Cleopatra-inspired pokie that started as a land-based title before being released for online audiences. The game features a standard five-reel playtable with twenty bet lines. Punters can collect wins up to 9000x the total stake in this classic slot with payline wins, wilds, scatters, and free spins.
Lightning Link is a slot series rather than a single title. The Class III pokie brand carries sixteen sets, each one with linked progressive jackpots but different themes. The collection began with four titles: Happy Lantern, High Stakes Las Vegas, Magic Pearl, and Sahara Desert. Other slots like Moon Race, Dragon’s Riches, Tiki Fire, and Heart Throb were added later. Lightning Link pokies are exclusively land-based slots with Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand pots.
Lucky 88 is another Aristocrat Asian themed slot with five reels and 25 bet lines. The 97% RTP pokie pays up to 888x for a combination of the smiling man, who also plays the wild and can multiply wins up to 88x. The set also has a free spins feature where one can choose free games or roll lucky dice.
Big Red is a 2014 slot themed around the Australian kangaroo. The crocodile pays the highest combination win of 1250 credits, and it can be doubled or quadrupled in the gamble feature.
Pompeii Slot revisits the destruction of a town of the same name by a volcanic eruption on five reels and 243 win ways. Witnessing the event comes with a chance of landing up to 2500 credits in combo wins that can be completed with a wild that lands on the second and fourth reels.
Big Ben Slot transports players to London City to collect combination winnings as high as 30,000 credits for five soldier symbols. The Big Ben icon offers up to 1000x the total bet and activates the Big ben Feature that awards multipliers up to 500x.
Where’s the Gold Slot mines for treasures up to 1000x the line bet awarded by the white-bearded miner. The dynamite scatter can offer as much as 50x the bet and a free spin bonus.
Dolphin Treasure takes player underwater to collect treasures valued up to 9000x their bet. The sunset symbol plays the wild, and the chest plays the scatter that activates fifteen free spins for covering three tiles.
Aristocrat creates slot games that fall into different categories to suit the needs of players and evolving eras. The sets fall into a handful of common types, including;
Aristocrat features bonuses in nearly all its slots that compliment the payouts awarded through character combinations. The boons appear different in all of them, but they fall into the following major categories:
Aristocrat games are available to play for real money online the same way they can launch in free play mode. When playing in this version, it is recommended to take caution to get the best experience. Here are tips that come in handy;
Use our website to find out the best gambling destinations where you can explore Aristocrat slots for real money. On the listed websites, the software developer is authorized to offer services with licenses from the countries’ necessary bodies, including:
Aristocrat games are available to play in both free and real money modes. The elements of the pokies are similar in both variations, with the only difference being the use of cash bets in the real money option.
You can launch Aristocrat slots for free play on our website. The titles are offered in instant play mode, negating the need for an app download. The sets run directly on web browsers on almost any operating system on both mobile and PC gadgets.
Aristocrat slot machines are available to play for real money in casinos that support the game developer’s software. Most of these gambling dens offer bonuses and promotions that can be used in the slots. The boons can be awarded as no deposit offers, welcome packages, reload bonuses, and loyalty rewards. The terms dictating how to claim and use the incentives vary from one gaming site to another. But in all cases, players have to register an account and commit real money.
Buffalo, 5 Dragons, Queen of the Nile, Lucky 88, Lightning Link, Pompeii, and Dolphin Treasure are some popular pokies by Aristocrat. Most of the developer’s slots are available to play in both online and location-based casinos.
Yes, you can. The HTML5 technology used in Aristocrat slots makes them accessible on smartphones and tablets. The pokies do not have any download requirements attached to them and can only be played on web browsers.
There is no difference between Aristocrat pokies and slots. “Pokies” is a common nickname for slots used in New Zealand and Australia that has gained traction since the age of brick-and-mortar gambling.
Yes, it is. Aristocrat takes the safety of players seriously and has an in-house team that tests games before they are released into the market. The software provider also operates with valid licenses from reputable institutions like the Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar Gaming Commission, and the UK Gambling Commission. These bodies have stringent measures to ensure the fairness and security of their licensees’ services.