Of the three major poker machine manufacturers in Australian, Ainsworth is the only company that has yet to bring its games into the online casino world. For years, both Aristocrat and IGT have been transforming their popular land-based poker machines into online pokies and now Ainsworth has decided to join them in the digital gaming market.
This week, Ainsworth announced that it will be partnering with ComTrade to bring the developer’s poker machines into the online casino world. The two companies will build on each other’s strengths to create high-quality online pokies based on Ainsworth’s existing collection of land-based poker machines. “The gap is closing between the online and land-based industries,” says Aleš Gornjec, General Manager of Gaming at ComTrade.
“We believe that ComTrade Gaming’s experience and development strengths will accelerate Ainsworth growth in the iGaming space, and we look forward to developing this relationship further.” Now is a crucial time for land-based gaming firms, as they could be left behind in the online gambling rush.
More and more players are choosing to wager on pokies online rather than visit clubs and casinos, so it is important for companies like Ainsworth to get in on the ground floor. Of course, there will be a great deal of competition. Land-based companies like Aristocrat and IGT certainly have a grasp on traditional pokie players while primarily online companies like Microgaming appeal to more modern players.
So, Ainsworth will have to compete with some industry leaders in order to make a name for itself in the online casino market. Ainsworth is just one of many operators that have decided to take this step. Bally Technologies recently announced that it would be bringing its land-based slots into the online gambling industry. It is certainly a wise business decision, as online casinos becoming increasingly popular among gambling fans.