Sierra Design in agreements with Aristocrat, WMS

Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 11:23 a.m.

Slot machine manufacturers Aristocrat Technologies Inc. and WMS Gaming Inc. have signed separate agreements with Nevada-based Sierra Design Group to offer game themes using Sierra Design's technology platform.

Sierra Design, a technology supplier with offices in Las Vegas and Reno, was one of four recently awarded a contract by the New York Lottery to provide video lottery terminals at racetrack facilities in New York.

Reno-based International Game Technology, Las Vegas-based Alliance Gaming Corp.'s Bally Gaming and Systems unit, and Spielo, a Canadian supplier, were also selected by the New York Lottery to provide lottery terminals.

Aristocrat officials said the agreement allows the company to expand its market beyond its traditional boundaries of Nevada and its home country of Australia. The deal is an extension of an existing licensing agreement between the two companies for the tribal casino market in Washington state, the company said.

"This agreement is key to Aristocrat accomplishing its licensing and recurring revenue objectives," Aristocrat Technologies President Mark Newburg said.

The agreement with WMS allows the Chicago-area manufacturer to have non-exclusive rights to develop and convert game themes, including its "Monopoly" series, onto Sierra's hardware platform to be used in Washington state tribal casinos, WMS officials said.

"These new licensing agreements will help grow and diversify our business," WMS President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Gamache said. WMS has worked with Sierra Design Group over the last six months as part of a companywide technology improvement plan, he said.

Spielo, which has offices worldwide, is developing all of its own game themes as well as the games' hardware and software.

All four companies will provide roughly 14,000 machines across eight racetracks in the state by the second quarter of next year, New York Lottery officials said.