Bulls & bears

Dragons could help pokies maker Light and Wonder spread its wings

Aristocrat’s newest rival has enjoyed strong share price growth in its first year on the ASX. A controversial new game holds the key to its future.

Zoe SamiosBusiness reporter

Mar 17, 2024 – 1.29pm

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In George R. R. Martin’s fantasy series Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen is known, among other things, as the mother of dragons. In her native tongue, Valyrian, she commands her three dragons to breathe fire, burning everything in their path.

For Light and Wonder, an Australian-run, Las Vegas-headquartered gaming company that makes most of its money creating and distributing poker machines, dragons are having a similar effect on competitors.

Zoe Samios covers wagering and the business of sport from the AFR's Sydney newsroom. She was previously the media and telecommunications reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and covered media at The Australian.