Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines Trimester T1 2020 Unit Code HI5020 Unit Title Corporate Accounting Assessment Type Individual Assignment Assessment Title Accounting for Income Tax Purpose...

1 answer below »
thanks in advance


Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines Trimester T1 2020 Unit Code HI5020 Unit Title Corporate Accounting Assessment Type Individual Assignment Assessment Title Accounting for Income Tax Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping) This assignment aims at developing a clear understanding of students on corporate accounting for income tax issues. Students will develop an understanding on different concepts used in accounting for income tax. They will also develop an understanding on how different concepts of accounting for income tax are used by companies in the practical setting. (ULO 1, 2, 4, 5, 6). Weight 40 % of the total assessments (Written assignment 30 % + Presentation 10 percent) Total Marks Written assignment 30 marks + Presentation 10 marks Word limit 3000 words ±500 words Due Date Assignment submission: Final Submission of individual Assignment: 11:59 pm Friday, Week 9 Late submission incurs penalties of five (5) % of the assessment value per calendar day unless an extension and/or special consideration has been granted by the lecturer prior to the assessment deadline. Submission Guidelines · All work must be submitted on Blackboard by the due date along with a completed Assignment Cover Page. · The assignment must be in MS Word format, no spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings and page numbers. · Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using Harvard referencing style. HI5020 Corporate Accounting Group Assignment T1 2020 Assignment Specifications Purpose: This assignment aims at developing a clear understanding of students on corporate accounting for income tax issues. Students will develop an understanding on different concepts used in accounting for income taxes. They will also develop an understanding on how different concepts of accounting for income tax are used by companies in the practical setting. Assessment task: Collect the latest annual report of an ASX listed company for the last 2 financial years. Please read the financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement) and notes attached to financial statements on income tax issues very carefully. Please remember some aspects of your firm’s treatment of its tax – can be a very complicated area, particularly for some firms. Based on your understanding of the topic “accounting for income tax” and based on your reading of the collected annual reports, do the following tasks. i Briefly explain the concepts of accounting profit, taxable profit, temporary difference, taxable temporary difference, deductible temporary difference, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. ii Briefly explain the recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. iiiWhat is your firm’s tax expense in its latest financial statements? iv Is this figure the same as the company tax rate times your firm’s accounting income? Explain why this is, or is not, the case for your firm highlighting the reasons for differences. v Identify the deferred tax assets/liabilities that is reported in the balance sheet articulating the possible reasons why they have been recorded. vi Is there any current tax assets or income tax payable recorded by your company? Why is the income tax payable not the same as income tax expense? vii Is the income tax expense shown in the income statement same as the income tax paid shown in the cash flow statement? If not, why is the difference? viii Briefly explain the concepts of temporary difference and permanent difference. Identify any permanent differences that your company may have. ix What do you find interesting, confusing, surprising or difficult to understand about the treatment of tax in your firm’s financial statements? What new insights, if any, have you gained about how companies account for income tax as a result of examining your firm’s tax expense in its accounts? Assignment Structure should be as the following: Abstract - One paragraph List of Content Introduction Body of the assignment with detailed answer on each of the required tasks Summary/Conclusion List of references ….. Page 2 of 6 HI5020 Corporate Accounting T1 2020 Instruction for video presentation: Based on your written assignment you will have to make a summary video presentation ranging for 10 minutes. Your presentation should explain the assignment tasks and your key findings. You will have to upload the presentation in You Tube and submit the You Tube link in the black board so that the marker can watch and mark your presentation. Your assignment will be marked based on the following criteria: PresentationStyle(3 marks) Content (4 marks) Clarity of the presentation ((3 marks) Excellent 3-2.5 4-3 3-2.5 Very good 2.5-1.75 3-2.5 2.5-1.75 Good 1.75-1.5 2.5-2.00 1.75-1.5 Satisfactory 1.5-1.00 2.00-1.00 1.5-1.00 Unsatisfactory 1.00-0 1.00-0 1.00-0 Marking criteria Marking criteria Weighting Abstract 1% List of content & overall presentation of the assignment 1% Introduction 1% Briefly explain the concepts of accounting profit, taxable profit, temporary difference, taxable temporary difference, deductible temporary difference, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. Provide suitable example for each concept. 7% Briefly explain the recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. 2% What is your firm’s tax expense in its latest financial statements? 1% Is this figure the same as the company tax rate times your firm’s accounting income? Explain why this is, or is not, the case for your firm highlighting the reasons for differences. 3% Identify the deferred tax assets/liabilities that is reported in the balance sheet articulating the possible reasons why they have been recorded. 3% Is there any current tax assets or income tax payable recorded by your company? Why is the income tax payable not the same as income tax expense? 3% Is the income tax expense shown in the income statement same as the income tax paid shown in the cash flow statement? If not why is the difference? 3% Briefly explain the concepts of temporary difference and permanent difference. Identify any permanent differences that your company may have. 2% What do you find interesting, confusing, surprising or difficult to understand about the treatment of tax in your firm’s financial statements? What new insights, if any, have you gained about how companies account for income tax as a result of examining your firm’s tax expense in its accounts? 2% Conclusion 1% Total in Written Assignment 30% Video presentation 10% Total 40 % Marking Rubric Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Briefly explain the concepts of accounting profit, taxable profit, temporary difference, taxable temporary difference, deductible temporary difference, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. /7 All seven concepts have been discussed clearly and comprehensively . Suitable examples have been given All seven concepts have been discussed. Suitable examples have been given. Has discussed all seven concepts with examples. Minor errors remain. Attempted to discuss all seven concepts. Also attempted to provide examples. Major errors remain. Did not show an understanding of the concepts, did not provide appropriate examples. Briefly explain the recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability. /2 The recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability have been correctly and comprehensively discussed The recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability have been discussed. There is scope for improvement. The recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities have been discussed with minor errors and ambiguity. The recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities have been discussed with major errors and ambiguity. An attempt has been made to discuss the recognition criteria of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liability but the answer is mostly irrelevant, or an attempt has not been made to discuss the recognition criteria of deferred tax assets. What is your firm’s tax expense in its latest financial statements? /1 The income tax expense has been correctly identified ------ ------ The income tax expense has been incorrectly identified The income tax expense has not been identified. Is this figure the same as the company tax rate times your firm’s accounting income? Explain why this is, or is not, the case for your firm highlighting the reasons for differences. /3 Demonstrated an excellent understanding of the issue. The reasons for the differences have been identified and explained Demonstrated a good understanding of the issue. The reasons for the differences have been identified and explained Demonstrated a poor understanding of the issue. The reasons for the differences have been identified and explained with minor errors Demonstrated a poor understanding of the issue. The reasons for the differences have been identified and explained with major errors Demonstrated very poor or no understanding of the issue. The reasons for the differences have not been identified and explained Identify the deferred tax assets/liabilities that is reported in the balance sheet articulating the possible reasons why they have been recorded. /3 Has correctly identified the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reported by the company. The reasons for their origin have been identified and explained. Has correctly identified the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reported by the company. The reasons for their origin have been identified and explained with minor errors. Has identified the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reported by the company with minor errors. The reasons for their origin have been identified and explained with major errors. Has identified the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reported by the company with major errors. The reasons for their origin have been identified and explained with major errors. Has not identified the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reported by the company. The reasons for their origin have not been identified and explained. Is there any current tax assets or income tax payable recorded by your company? Why is the income tax payable not the same as income tax expense? /3 Has clearly identified if the company has reported any current tax asset or income tax payable. Has demonstrated an excellent understanding of the reasons for the differences between income tax payable and income tax expense. Has clearly identified if the company has reported any current tax asset or income tax payable. Has demonstrated a good understanding of the reasons for the differences between income tax payable and income tax expense. Minor errors. Has identified if the company has reported any current tax asset or income tax payable. Has demonstrated a reasonable understanding of the reasons for the differences between income tax payable and income tax expense. Major errors. Has identified if the company has reported any current tax asset or income tax payable. Has demonstrated a poor understanding of the reasons for the differences between income tax payable and income tax expense. Major errors. Has not been able to identify if the company has reported any current tax asset or income tax payable. Unable to demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding of reasons for the differences between income tax payable and income tax expense. Major errors. Is the income tax expense shown in the income statement same as the income tax paid shown in the cash flow statement? If not, why is the difference? /3 Has clearly identified if there is any difference
Answered Same DayMay 08, 2021HI5020

Answer To: Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines Trimester T1 2020 Unit Code HI5020 Unit Title Corporate...

Pulkit answered on May 20 2021
146 Votes
CONTENTS
Company Profile and Key Dates 1
Message from the Chairman and CEO 2
Directors' Report 3
Operating and Financial Review 9
Remuneration Report 30
Auditor's Independence Declaration 56
Nevada Regulatory Disclosure 57
Five Year Summary 59
Financial Statements 61
Independent Auditor's Report 111
Shareholder Information 118
Corporate Directory 121
2019 ANNUAL REPORT
This 2019 Aristocrat Leisure Limited Annual Report for the
financial year ended 30 September 2019 complies with
reporting requirements and contains statutory financial
statements.
This document is not a concise report prepared under
section 314(2) of the Corporations Act. The Aristocrat
Group has not prepared a concise report for the 2019
financial year.
2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The 2020 Annual General Meeting will be held at 11.00am
on Thursday, 20 February 2020 at the Aristocrat Head
Office, Building A, Pinnacle Office Park, 85 Epping Road,
North Ryde, NSW, 2113.
Details of the business of the meeting will be contained
in the notice of Annual General Meeting, to be sent to
shareholders separately.
2019 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
STATEMENT
The 2019 Corporate Governance Statement can be found
on the Group’s website: www.aristocrat.com.
1 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
COMPANY PROFILE
Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) is a leading gaming
provider and games publisher, with more than 6,400
employees located in offices around the world. Aristocrat
offers a diverse range of products and services including
electronic gaming machines, casino management systems
and digital social games. The Company’s land-based
products are approved for use in more than 300 licensed
jurisdictions and are available in over 80 countries.
For further information visit the Group’s website at
www.aristocrat.com.
KEY DATES*
2019
Record date for Final 2019 Dividend 29 November 2019
Payment date for Final 2019 Dividend 17 December 2019
2020
2020 Annual General Meeting 20 February 2020
Interim Results Announcement
(6 months ending 31 March 2020) 21 May 2020
Full Year Results Announcement
(12 months ending 30 September 2020) 18 November 2020
*Dates subject to change.
2 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
We’re pleased to report that Aristocrat delivered strong
performance over the 2019 fiscal year, further extending the
business’ trajectory of consistent and high-quality growth with
a record profit of $894.4m1. Group revenue increased almost
23% and 15% in reported terms and in constant currency
respectively, to a fresh all-time high of $4.4 billion.
This performance was driven by continued strong operational
momentum across both land based and digital businesses.
Aristocrat’s key Americas, ANZ and digital operations all
grew, off the back of increased and targeted investment
in competitive product portfolios, particularly in terms of
design and development (D&D) and digital marketing (user
acquisition).
Aristocrat’s strong cash flows, capacity to fund investment in
further growth and continued reducing gearing levels were
also evident in the fiscal 2019 result. This allowed the Board to
deliver another significant lift in earnings per share, reflected
in a 22% increase in total dividends for the year to 56.0 cents
per share, consistent with our commitment to grow dividends
over time.
Over the course of the year, the Board also continued to
implement an orderly renewal process with the nomination of
Mr Philippe Etienne as a Non-Executive Director (Elect) on 1
October 2019. Philippe was formally appointed to the Board
in November 2019, and shareholders are asked to approve his
appointment at the AGM in February 2020.
Philippe is a seasoned international business leader with
extensive experience as a company director. Philippe’s
strategic and technology skills and international perspectives
are particularly valuable, and we are delighted to welcome an
individual of his calibre to the Board.
In addition, and after more than a decade of service, Mr Steve
Morro has confirmed his intention to retire as a Director of
Aristocrat at the conclusion of the forthcoming AGM. Steve
has made an outstanding contribution to both the Board
and the business, including through its turnaround years and
subsequent growth. Steve has brought deep US market and
global gaming industry expertise to the Board’s deliberations,
which we value greatly. We are particularly pleased therefore
that Steve has agreed to continue his long association with
Aristocrat post his retirement, as a consultant to management.
As a consequence of Steve’s retirement, Mr Pat Ramsay
will assume the role of lead US director, and the Board is
prioritising its US based director recruitment.
During the year, the Board continued its program of regular
face-to-face engagement with Aristocrat’s global employee
base, and also met with a broad range of customers in various
jurisdictions. This program helps ensure that Directors receive
direct feedback and are able to maintain effective oversight
over the business’ culture and customer centricity.
Aristocrat has also continued to expand our sustainability
disclosures, consistent with our values, our focus on the long
term and commitment to transparency. Building on progress
made in 2018, further disclosures were published on the
Group website (www.aristocrat.com) at the end of November
2019. In addition to updating and expanding existing content
on topics such as responsible gameplay and employee
relations, the business also reported for the first time on topics
such as energy and environment (including climate-related
issues), community and society and ethical sourcing.
In 2020, the business is expecting to be able to include
more information on energy, and diversity and inclusion, in
line with our progress and shareholders’ interest in these
important issues.
In summary, fiscal year 2019 was another highly successful
and rewarding year at Aristocrat. We wish to particularly
acknowledge and thank the Board and senior management
for its support, energy and commitment. We are also grateful
to the team of more than 6,400 Aristocrat people around the
world, whose hard work and passion for our customers is
reflected in the strong results we delivered over the year.
Finally, we wish to thank you – our shareholders – for your
ongoing interest and support.
Yours sincerely
MESSAGE FROM THE
CHAIRMAN AND CEO
Neil Chatfield
Chairman
Trevor Croker
Chief Executive Officer &
Managing Director
1. Net Profit After Tax and before Amortisation of Acquired Intangibles.
3 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
For the 12 months ended 30 September 2019
The Directors present their report together with the
Financial Statements of the Company and its subsidiaries
(the Group) for the 12 months ended 30 September 2019
(the financial year). The information in this report is current as
at 20 November 2019 unless otherwise specified.
This Directors’ Report has been prepared in accordance
with the requirements of Division 1 of Part 2M.3 of the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act).
Review and results of operations
A review of the operations of the Group for the financial year
is set out in the Operating and Financial Review which forms
part of this Directors’ Report.
Financial results
The reported result of the Group attributable to shareholders
for the 12 months ended 30 September 2019 was a profit of
$698.8 million after tax (2018: profit of $542.6 million after
tax).
Further details regarding the financial results of the Group
are set out in the Operating and Financial Review and
Financial Statements.
Dividends
Since the end of the financial year, the Directors have
recommended the payment of a final dividend of 34.0 cents
(2018: 27.0 cents) per fully-paid ordinary share. Details of the
dividends paid and declared during the financial year are set
out in Note 1-6 to the Financial Statements.
Remuneration Report
Details of the remuneration policies in respect of the
Group’s Key Management Personnel are detailed in the
Remuneration Report which forms part of this Directors’
Report.
Sustainability
Further detail on sustainability can be found on
the Company’s website and forms part of this
Directors’ Report.
website www.aristocrat.com
4 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
Directors’ particulars, experience and special responsibilities
Current Directors
The Directors of the Company throughout the financial year and up to the date of this report are:
CURRENT DIRECTORS
Director Experience and other directorships Special responsibilities
NG Chatfield
M.Bus, FCPA, FAICD
Nominated December 2017. Appointed February 2018.
— Chairman of Costa Group Holdings Limited
— Non-Executive Director of Transurban Group
— Former Chairman of Seek Ltd (retired effective
31 December 2018)
— Former Chairman of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd
— Former Non-Executive Director of Recall Holdings Ltd and
Iron Mountain, Inc.
— Former Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Toll
Holdings Ltd
Non-Executive Chairman
(from 22 February
2019)
Member, Strategic Risk
Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
Member, Regulatory and
Compliance Committee
Member, Human Resources
and Remuneration Committee
(from 22 February 2019)
Member, Audit Committee
(from 22 February 2019)
TJ Croker
Advanced Management
Program (Wharton
School, University of
Pennsylvania)
Appointed 1 March 2017.
— Director of the Australasian Gaming Council
— Director and Chairman of the American Gaming Association
(Chairman effective January 2020)
— Former Executive Vice President, Global Product & Insights,
Aristocrat Leisure Limited
— Former Managing Director, ANZ – Aristocrat Leisure Limited
— Sales Director – Fosters Australia Ltd
Managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer
Member, Strategic Risk
Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
KM Conlon
BEc, MBA
Nominated January 2014. Appointed February 2014.
— Non-Executive Director of REA Group Limited and Lynas
Corporation Limited
— Member of Chief Executive Women and a Non-Executive
Director of the Benevolent Society
— Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
(AICD) Corporate Governance Committee and a former
National Board Member of the AICD
— Former Non-Executive Director of CSR Limited
— Former Partner and Director, Boston Consulting Group
(BCG)
Chair, Human Resources and
Remuneration Committee
Member, Strategic Risk
Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
Member, Audit Committee
(from 1 October 2019)
SW Morro
BA, Business
Administration
Nominated December 2009. Appointed December 2010.
— Former Chief Operating Officer and President,
IGT Gaming Division
Lead US Director
Member, Regulatory and
Compliance Committee
Member, Human Resources
and Remuneration Committee
5 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
CURRENT DIRECTORS
Director Experience and other directorships Special responsibilities
PJ Ramsey
BA, Economics, MBA
Nominated September 2016. Appointed October 2016.
— Consultant, EPR Properties (a publicly traded REIT)
— Board of Trustees for the Meadows School (Las Vegas, USA)
— Executive Committee member for the TPC Shriners Hospital
for Children Open
— Former Independent Director of VizExplorer
— Former Chief Digital Officer of Aristocrat Leisure Limited
and former CEO of Multimedia Games
— Various senior roles at Caesars Entertainment
(formerly Harrah’s)
Chair, Regulatory and
Compliance Committee
Member, Strategic Risk
Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
Member, Audit Committee
(from 1 October 2019)
S Summers Couder
Dip Electrical
Engineering, Masters in
Electrical Engineering
and Computer Sciences
Cycle de
Perfectionnement Option
(Equivalent MBA)
Nominated August 2016. Appointed September 2016.
— Independent Director of Semtech Corporation
— Former Independent Non-Executive Director of Alcatel-
Lucent SA and Headwaters Inc.
— Former Chief Executive Officer of Trident Microsystems Inc.
Chair, Strategic Risk Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
Member, Audit Committee
Member, Human Resources
and Remuneration Committee
(from 1 October 2019)
AM Tansey
BBA, MBA, Juris Doctor
Nominated March 2016. Appointed July 2016.
— Non-Executive Director of Healius Limited (formerly Primary
Health Care Ltd), Lendlease Investment Management
Limited, and the Australian National Maritime Foundation
— Member of Chief Executive Women and Fellow of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors
— Former Non-Executive Director of Adelaide Brighton Ltd
Chair, Audit Committee
Member, Strategic Risk
Committee
(to 30 September 2019)
Member, Regulatory and
Compliance Committee
(from 1 October 2019)
DIRECTORS APPOINTED AFTER THE FINANCIAL YEAR
Director Experience and other directorships Special responsibilities
PG Etienne
GradDip Marketing, BSc,
MBA
Advanced Management
Program
Nominated October 2019. Appointed November 2019.
— Chairman, ANZ Terminals
— Non-Executive Director of Lynas Corporation Limited and
Cleanaway Waste Management Limited
— Former Managing Director & CEO of Innovia Security Pty Ltd
— Former Non-Executive Director of Sedgman Limited
— Various senior executive positions, Orica Limited
Member, Human Resources
and Remuneration Committee
Member, Regulatory and
Compliance Committee
6 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
FORMER DIRECTORS
Director Experience and other directorships Special responsibilities
ID Blackburne
BSc (Hons), MBA, PhD
Appointed September 2010. Retired 21 February 2019
— Former Chairman of Recall Holdings Limited, CSR
Limited and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation
— Former Non-Executive Director of Suncorp-Metway Limited
and Symbion Health Limited
— Former Independent Director of Teekay Corporation
(listed on the NYSE)
— Former Managing Director of Caltex Australia Limited
Non-Executive Chairman
(to 21 February 2019)
Member of each Board
Committee
(to 21 February 2019)

Directors’ attendance at Board and committee meetings during the financial year
The attendance of members of the Board at Board meetings and attendance of members of committees at committee
meetings of which they are voting members is set out below.
(Meetings attended/held)
Director Board Audit Committee
Human Resources
and Remuneration
Committee
Regulatory and
Compliance
Committee
Strategic Risk
Committee
Current Directors
NG Chatfield1 13/13 2/2 3/3 4/4 3/3
TJ Croker 13/13 - - - 3/3
KM Conlon1 13/13 - 5/5 - 3/3
SW Morro1 12/13 - 5/5 4/4 -
PJ Ramsey1 12/13 - - 4/4 3/3
S Summers Couder1 12/13 4/4 - - 3/3
AM Tansey1 13/13 4/4 - - 3/3
Former Directors
ID Blackburne1, 2 6/6 2/2 2/2 1/1 1/1
1. During FY2019, the Board reviewed each Non-Executive Director’s
independence and confirms that each Non-Executive Director is
independent.
2. Dr ID Blackburne retired from the Board on 21 February 2019.
Company Secretary
The Company Secretary is directly accountable to the Board,
through the Chairman, for all governance matters that relate
to the Board’s proper functioning.
During the financial year, the Group had the following
Company Secretary:
Richard Bell LLB, BComm (Law)
Richard Bell joined Aristocrat in April 2015 and was
appointed as Company Secretary in May 2017. Before
joining Aristocrat, Mr. Bell specialised in Mergers &
Acquisitions at Australian law firm Allens Linklaters.
7 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
Principal activities
The principal activities of the Group during the financial year
were the design, development and distribution of gaming
content, platforms and systems, including electronic gaming
machines, casino management systems and digital social
games. The Company’s objective is to be the leading global
provider of gaming solutions.
Significant changes in the state of affairs
Except as outlined below and elsewhere in this Directors’
Report, there were no significant changes in the state of
affairs of the Group during the financial year.
Events after balance date
Refer to Note 6-2 to the Financial Statements for events
which occurred after balance date. Other than the matters
disclosed in Note 6-2, since the end of the year and to
the date of this Directors’ Report, no other matter or
circumstance has arisen that has significantly affected or may
significantly affect the Group’s operations, results of those
operations or state of affairs in future reporting periods.
Likely developments and expected results
Likely developments in the operations of the Group in future
financial years and the expected results of operations are
referred to in the Operating and Financial Review which
forms part of this Directors’ Report.
Options over share capital
No options over Company shares were granted to
executives or Directors during the financial year. There were
no unissued shares or interests in the Company subject to
options at the date of this Directors’ Report and no Company
shares or interests issued pursuant to exercised options
during or since the end of the financial year.
Indemnities and insurance premiums
The Company’s Constitution provides that the Company will
indemnify each officer of the Company against any liability
incurred by that officer in or arising out of the conduct of the
business of the Company or in or arising out of the discharge
of that officer’s duties to the extent permitted by law.
An officer for the purpose of this provision includes any
Director or Secretary of the Company or the Company’s
subsidiaries, executive officers or employees of the
Company or its subsidiaries and any person appointed
as a trustee by, or acting as a trustee at the request of, the
Company, and includes former Directors.
In accordance with the Company’s Constitution, the
Company has entered into deeds of access, indemnity and
insurance and deeds of indemnity for identity theft with each
Director and nominated officers of the Company. No amount
has been paid pursuant to those indemnities during the
financial year to the date of this Directors’ Report.
The Company has paid a premium in respect of a contract
insuring officers of the Company and its related bodies
corporate against any liability incurred by them arising out
of the conduct of the business of the Company or in or
arising out of the discharge of their duties. In accordance
with normal commercial practices, under the terms of the
insurance contracts, the details of the nature and extent of
the liabilities insured against and the amount of premiums
paid are confidential.
Environmental regulation
The Group’s operations have a limited impact on the
environment. The Group is subject to a number of
environmental regulations in respect of its integration
activities. The Company does not manufacture gaming
machines, it only integrates (assembles) machines and
systems in Australia, the USA, Macau, and the UK. The
Company uses limited amounts of chemicals in its assembly
process. The Directors are not aware of any breaches of any
environmental legislation or of any significant environmental
incidents during the financial year.
Based on current emission levels, the Company is not
required to register and report under the National
Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Cth) (NGER
Act). However, the Company continues to receive reports
and monitors its position to ensure compliance with the
NGER Act.
The Company is committed to not only complying with
the various environmental laws to which its operations
are subject, but also to achieving a high standard of
environmental performance across all its operations. The
Company is aware of, and continues to plan for, any new
Australian regulatory requirements on climate change. It is
the Company’s view that climate change does not pose any
significant risks to its operations in the short to medium term.
Throughout the Group, new programs and initiatives have
been introduced to ensure the Company is well prepared for
new regulatory regimes and to reduce its carbon footprint.
8 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
Proceedings on behalf of the Company
No proceedings have been brought on behalf of the
Company under section 236 of the Act nor has any
application been made in respect of the Company under
section 237 of the Act.
Auditor
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) continues in office in
accordance with section 327 of the Act.
Non-audit services provided by the auditor
The Company, with the prior approval of the Chair
of the Audit Committee, may decide to employ
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Company’s auditor, on
assignments additional to its statutory audit duties where
the auditor’s expertise and experience with the Company
and/ or the Group are important. The Company has an
Auditor Independence Policy which specifies those non-
audit services which cannot be performed by the Company
auditor. The Policy also sets out the procedures which are
required to be followed prior to the engagement of the
Company’s auditor for any non-audit related service.
Details of the amounts paid or payable to the Company’s
auditor, for audit and non-audit services provided during
the financial year, are set out in Note 6-3 to the Financial
Statements.
The Board of Directors has considered the position and,
in accordance with the advice received from the Audit
Committee, is satisfied that the provision of the non-audit
services as set out in Note 6-3 to the Financial Statements is
compatible with the general standard of independence for
auditors imposed by the Act for the following reasons:
— All non-audit services have been reviewed by the Audit
Committee to ensure they do not impact the impartiality
and objectivity of the auditor.
— PwC is engaged on assignments additional to their
statutory audit duties where PwC’s expertise and
experience with the Group are important. These
assignments are principally tax advice and due diligence
on acquisitions. During the year, PwC was primarily
engaged for tax services relating to assistance with one-
off changes to the Group Structure (refer to Note 6-2 to
the Financial Statements). These services are not recurring.
PwC is awarded assignments on a competitive basis
in accordance with the Auditor Independence Policy,
which in future will restrict PwC from performing tax and
advisory services.
— None of the services undermine the general principles
relating to auditor independence as set out in APES 110
Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, including
reviewing or auditing the auditor’s own work, acting in
a management or a decision-making capacity for the
Company, acting as advocate for the Company or jointly
sharing economic risk and rewards.
A copy of the Auditor’s Independence Declaration is
attached to this Directors’ Report.
Loans to Directors and executives
No Director or executive held any loans with the Company
during the financial year.
Rounding of amounts to nearest thousand dollars
The Company is of a kind referred to in ASIC Corporations
(Rounding in Financial/Directors’ Reports) Instrument
2016/191 as issued by the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission. Amounts in the Director’s Report
and the Financial Statements have been rounded off to the
nearest whole number of million dollars and one decimal
place representing hundreds of thousands of dollars, or in
certain cases, the nearest dollar in accordance with that class
order.
This report is made in accordance with a resolution of the
Directors and is signed for and on behalf of the Directors.
Mr. NG Chatfield
Chairman
20 November 2019
9 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
COUNTRIES
80
EMPLOYEES
6,400+
REVENUE
$4.4 BILLION
Revenue by Segment Revenue by Strategic Segment
LICENSED JURISDICTIONS
332
AUS
NZ
PHI
MAC
IND
ARG
SGP
USA
MEX
CAN
RUS
UKR
ISR
EU
GBR
ANZ
AmericasInternational
Class III
Digital
10.4%
44.3%
4.6%
40.7%
Gaming
Operations
Class III
Outright Sales
& Other
Digital
27.7%
40.7%
31.6%
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
ARISTOCRAT AT A GLANCE
10 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
BUSINESS STRATEGY
Aristocrat has consistently delivered high quality, sustainable growth by
protecting and expanding our core business, and capturing opportunities in new
markets and segments, both organically and through disciplined M&A.
BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND PROSPECTS
FOR FUTURE FINANCIAL YEARS
Aristocrat continues to execute its established growth
strategy, which is built on the three pillars of great talent,
exceptional game content and hardware, and increasing
distribution channels.
The business delivers high quality, sustained growth by
focusing on these core drivers, and working hard to improve
our competitiveness.
Over recent years, Aristocrat has delivered outstanding share
growth in existing markets, while capturing opportunities in
new markets and segments, both organically and through
disciplined M&A. The business’ Digital footprint continues to
scale, with the successful scaling of core Apps and expansion
into new genres.
Over the medium term, Aristocrat will maintain our focus on
delivering above category growth through:
— further share expansion in existing markets;
— pushing further into attractive Land-based adjacencies,
primarily in North America; and
— strong organic investment to ensure sustained core
momentum with a rigorous focus on returns.
Key investment priorities will include product and
technology, core digital, data and transformation skillsets.
Aristocrat is also taking a strategic approach to building
and leveraging connections across our global business to
ultimately bring a broader range of value-adding products,
services and experiences to customers and players.
Aristocrat will continue to drive growth in Digital, with a
diversified portfolio approach across both Social Casino
and Social Casual. Over time, we will look to extend our
leadership positions across multiple attractive social games
genres.
Aristocrat’s strong balance sheet and further growth in
recurring revenues (to above 68% for FY19) also gives the
business broad optionality to invest to sustain our growth
momentum and create value for shareholders. We actively
scan for non-organic opportunities to accelerate our strategy,
in particular bolt-on opportunities that would deliver
strategic capabilities in either Land-based or Digital.
Aristocrat will increasingly seek to take industry leadership
positions on key Environment, Social and Governance
(ESG) issues, including responsible game play, consumer
privacy, and data governance, consistent with our focus on
sustainable and long-term performance for shareholders.
We will also continue to evolve our operating model to
support scalability and the execution of our strategy over
time.
11 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
EARNINGS SUMMARY
Key performance indicators for the current period and prior period are set out below.
A$ million
Constant
currency2
2019 2019 20183
Variance vs. 2018
Constant
currency2
%
Reported
%
Normalised results1
Operating revenue 4,113.8 4,397.4 3,583.8 14.8 22.7
EBITDA 1,485.8 1,596.8 1,328.6 11.8 20.2
EBITA 1,252.1 1,346.9 1,129.3 10.9 19.3
NPAT 699.9 752.8 616.9 13.5 22.0
NPATA 831.2 894.4 729.6 13.9 22.6
Earnings per share (fully diluted) 109.7c 118.0c 96.5c 13.7 22.3
EPS before amortisation of acquired intangibles (fully diluted) 130.3c 140.2c 114.1c 14.2 22.9
Total dividend per share 56.0c 56.0c 46.0c 21.7 21.7
Reported results
Revenue 4,113.8 4,397.4 3,509.5 17.2 25.3
Profit after tax 650.1 698.8 542.6 19.8 28.8
NPATA 781.4 840.4 655.3 19.2 28.2
Balance sheet and cash flow
Net working capital/revenue 6.0% 5.6% 1.7% 4.3pts 3.9pts
Operating cash flow 1,010.1 1,085.5 933.8 8.2 16.2
Closing net debt/(cash) 2,090.3 2,224.1 2,453.0 14.8 9.3
Gearing (net debt/consolidated EBITDA4) n/a 1.4x 1.7x n/a 0.3x
1. Normalised results and operating cash flow are statutory profit (before and after tax) and operating cash flow, excluding the impact of certain significant items
relating to the acquisitions of Plarium and Big Fish detailed on page 17.
The operating revenue and results for the 12 months to 30 September 2018 reflect the ongoing revenue recognition principles for the acquired businesses
since the date of acquisition, and corresponds to the revenue and results that would have been recognised under Accounting Standards had the businesses
not been acquired to explain the underlying performance of the entity and the drivers of its profit.
2. Results for 12 months to 30 September 2019 are adjusted for translational exchange rates using rates applying in 2018 as referenced in the table on page 21.
3. Comparative period has been restated per note 6-8 in the financial statements.
4. Consolidated EBITDA as defined by the Credit Agreement.
The information presented in this Review of Operations has not been audited in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
12 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Key operational highlights for the period are set out below:
Increased share while maintaining yield in the Land-based
North America Gaming Operations business:
— Class III Premium installed base grew 14.3% to 22,998
units, with continued penetration of leading hardware
configurations and high-performing game titles.
— Class II installed base grew 3.9% to 25,220 units, driven
by the continued success of the Class II video product
Ovation™.
— Total average fee per day increased 1.3% to US$50.46,
with continued strong product performance in the period.
Grew share in Land-based Outright Sales:
— North America – grew ship share through entry into
adjacent markets: Video Lottery Terminals (VLT),
Washington Central Determinant System (CDS) and
Bartop Poker, with 29.6% growth in unit sales.
— ANZ – maintained market-leading ship share.
— International Class III – continued focus on floor
optimisation strategies.
Profitable growth in the Digital business:
— RAID: Shadow Legends™ was launched globally in March
and continues to deliver strong performance metrics.
— Daily Active Users (DAU) moderated to 7.5 million, driven
by new game launches in the Social Casual segment, that
were offset by a decline in the Social Casino segment,
as we focus our efforts on monetising the existing player
base, consistent with industry trends.
— Average Bookings Per Daily Active User (ABPDAU) grew
modestly to US$0.41 representing our focus on continued
growth in Social Casino monetisation, offset by the growth
of our Social Casual segment which monetises at a lower
rate.
Investment in talent and technology:
— Aristocrat has maintained its strong investment in talent
and technology to drive growth across the Land-based
and Digital businesses, with continued penetration into
adjacent markets.
— The business has continued to lift investment in D&D in
absolute terms.
Strong financial metrics:
— Strong EBITDA margin at 36.3% decreased slightly against
the prior period, with margin expansion across the Land-
based business partly offsetting the expected moderation
driven by the full period impact of the lower margin
Digital acquisitions.
— Gearing (Net Debt/EBITDA) decreased to 1.4x leverage,
from 1.7x pro-forma at 30 September 2018.
— Cash generating fundamentals remain strong,
demonstrated by US$200 million paydown of TLB and 7.0
cents per share (cps) growth in the final dividend to 34.0
cps ($217.1 million).
— Capital expenditure increased 18% to $317 million
supporting further growth in the Americas Gaming
Operations installed base.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
13 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
Normalised profit after tax and before amortisation of
acquired intangibles (NPATA) of $894.4 million for the
period represented a 23% increase (14% in constant
currency) compared to $729.6 million in the prior
corresponding period. Revenue increased by 23% (15%
in constant currency) driven by growth in Americas and
Digital. Normalised fully diluted earnings per share before
amortisation of acquired intangibles of 140.2c represents
a 23% (14% in constant currency) increase on the prior
corresponding period.
Net gearing decreased to 1.4x from 1.7x pro-forma
leverage in the prior corresponding period reflecting strong
performance across the business, as well as continued
strength of the cashflow generating fundamentals of the
business.
— Strong growth in the Americas business drove a $95.8
million improvement in post-tax profit, driven by a 14.3%
expansion in the Class III Premium Gaming Operations
footprint, a 3.9% expansion in the Class II Gaming
Operations footprint and growth in the overall average
fee per day (FPD) to over US$50, complemented with
strong Outright Sales performance in the period as a
result of entering adjacent markets (VLT, Washington CDS
and Bartop Poker).
— The ANZ business delivered $4.3 million in incremental
post-tax profit, driven by performance of the Helix+™
and Helix XT™ cabinets, the release of the new Helix X™
cabinet and continued penetration of the Dragon Link™
and Dragon Cash™ game families.
— Digital delivered post-tax earnings growth of $37.0
million due to the full period impact of the acquisitions
and sustained performance across the game portfolio.
— International Class III post-tax profit declined $9.8 million
due to fewer significant new openings and expansions in
the current period.
— Corporate costs and interest increased by $7.8 million
due to the full period impact of the acquisitions.
— The Group’s strategic investment in talent and
technology, represented by higher absolute D&D spend
at 11.4% of revenue, continues to deliver market-leading
products across an expanded range of markets and
segments in line with the Group’s growth strategy.
— The decrease in the Group’s effective tax rate (ETR)
from 28.9% to 27.5%, resulted in a $21.4 million benefit
and reflects the impact of US tax reform and change in
geographic business mix from the acquisitions.
— Foreign exchange positively impacted the business
performance by $65.7 million.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
NPATA movement FY18 to FY19 (A$ million)
Movements in the graph above are on a constant currency basis and are tax effected at the prior year tax rate.
729.6
894.4
95.8 4.3 37.0 21.4
65.7(9.8) (7.8) (41.8)
NPATA
FY 2018
Americas ANZ Digital International
Class III
Corporate
Costs / Interest
Group D&D
expense
Income tax
rate movement
Foreign
exchange
NPATA
FY 2019
14 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
GROUP PROFIT OR LOSS
Results in the current period and prior corresponding period are in reported currency and normalised for significant items
and adjustments as outlined on page 17. Segment profit is stated before amortisation of acquired intangibles.
A$ million 2019 20181
Variance
%
Segment revenue
Australia and New Zealand 456.2 454.5 0.4
Americas 1,948.0 1,579.9 23.3
International Class III 204.5 210.5 (2.9)
Digital 1,788.7 1,338.9 33.6
Total segment revenue 4,397.4 3,583.8 22.7
Segment profit
Australia and New Zealand 213.6 207.1 3.1
Americas 1,073.2 859.2 24.9
International Class III 94.3 103.4 (8.8)
Digital 528.9 438.2 20.7
Total segment profit 1,910.0 1,607.9 18.8
Unallocated expenses
Group D&D expense (500.4) (413.6) (21.0)
Foreign exchange 0.3 (3.4) n/a
Corporate (63.0) (61.6) (2.3)
Total unallocated expenses (563.1) (478.6) (17.7)
EBIT before amortisation of acquired intangibles (EBITA) 1,346.9 1,129.3 19.3
Amortisation of acquired intangibles (184.4) (156.3) (18.0)
EBIT 1,162.5 973.0 19.5
Interest (124.0) (105.4) (17.6)
Profit before tax 1,038.5 867.6 19.7
Income tax (285.7) (250.7) (14.0)
Profit after tax (NPAT) 752.8 616.9 22.0
Amortisation of acquired intangibles after tax 141.6 112.7 25.6
Profit after tax and before amortisation of acquired intangibles (NPATA) 894.4 729.6 22.6
1. Comparative period has been restated per note 6-8 in the financial statements.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
15 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REVENUE
Segment revenue increased $814 million or 23% in reported
currency (15% in constant currency), principally driven by
growth in Digital, Gaming Operations and North American
Outright Sales.
In Gaming Operations, revenue increased 14%, with the
Premium Class III and Class II footprints growing 14.3%
and 3.9% respectively, while overall average fee per day
increased 1.3%. Performance was fuelled by continued
penetration of the high-performing products Lightning
Link™, Dragon Link™, 5 Dragons Grand™, Buffalo Grand™,
Ovation™ and success of the newly launched Buffalo
Diamond™.
Digital revenue grew 24% to US$1,252 million, driven by
the full period impact of the acquisitions, scaling of new and
recently released games and continued strong performance
in Jackpot Magic Slots™ and Cooking Craze™.
In North America Outright Sales, revenue increased 22%,
with ship share growth in an increasingly competitive
environment, including successful entry into the adjacent VLT
Atlantic Canada, VLT Manitoba, Washington CDS and Bartop
Poker markets. Continued strength in average sales price
(ASP) reflected Aristocrat’s continued portfolio depth, led by
the performance of the Helix XT™, Helix Tower™ and Arc™
cabinets.
Australia & New Zealand revenue remained in line with
the prior comparative period at $456 million in reported
currency, while maintaining market-leading ship share.
In International Class III, revenue decreased 3% to $205
million in reported currency, due to fewer significant new
openings and expansions in the current period.
Revenue by Strategic Segment
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
2019
2018¹
Gaming
Operations
Class III Outright
Sales & OtherDigital
$4.40bn
$3.58bn
27.7%
31.6%
40.7%
27.7%
34.9%
37.4%
1. Comparative period has been restated per note 6-8 in the financial
statements.
All amounts are in reported currency unless otherwise stated.
16 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
EARNINGS
Segment profit increased $302 million in reported currency,
up 19% compared to the prior corresponding period.
Margin expansion was achieved in ANZ and Americas, both
driven by product mix.
The full period impact of the Plarium and Big Fish
acquisitions, which introduced the lower margin Social
Casual business to our Digital portfolio, resulted in the
overall Digital margin moderating in line with expectations
from 33% to 30%.
Segment Profit Margin % of Revenue
1. Comparative periods have been restated per note 6-8 in the financial
statements.
The Group continued to invest significantly in talent
and technology to deliver competitive product across a
broad range of Land-based and Digital segments. The
Group’s investment in D&D as a percentage of revenue
was maintained at 11.4%, with continued investment in
adjacencies. Total reported spend increased $87 million
or 21% (14% in constant currency), which includes the full
period impact of the Digital acquisitions.
Corporate costs increased by $1.4 million compared to the
prior corresponding period and as a percentage of revenue
decreased to 1.4%.
Net interest expense increased $18.6 million to $124 million,
reflecting the full period impact of increased debt levels to
support the prior period acquisitions.
The effective tax rate (ETR) for the reporting period was
27.5% compared to 28.9% in the prior corresponding
period. This was largely attributable to the changes driven by
US tax reform that came into effect from 1 January 2018 and
the full period impact of a change in business mix resulting
from the acquisitions.
Other Key Margins % of Revenue and ETR
1. Comparative periods have been restated per note 6-8 in the financial
statements.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
2017¹ 2018¹ 2019
44
.1
53
.7
52
.4
41
.5
45
.6
54
.4
49
.1
32
.7
46
.8
55
.1
46
.1
29
.6
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Australia and
New Zealand
Americas International
Class III
Digital
Group D&D
expense/
revenue
Segment
Profit/
revenue
EBITDA/
revenue
NPATA/
revenue
Effective
Tax Rate
11
.2
49
.9
41
.7
22
.6
32
.0
11
.5
44
.9
37
.1
20
.4
28
.9
11
.4
43
.4
36
.3
20
.3
27
.5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2017¹ 2018¹ 2019
17 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
Reconciliation of statutory revenue to operating revenue
A$ million 2019 20181
Statutory revenue as reported in the financial statements 4,397.4 3,509.5
Add back fair value adjustments relating to the acquisitions - 74.3
Operating revenue 4,397.4 3,583.8
1. Comparative period has been restated per note 6-8 in the financial statements.
Reconciliation of statutory profit to NPATA
A$ million 2019 2018
Statutory profit as reported in the financial statements 698.8 542.6
Amortisation of acquired intangibles (tax effected) 141.6 112.7
Reported profit after tax before amortisation of acquired intangibles
(Reported NPATA) 840.4 655.3
Add back net loss from significant items and adjustments after tax 54.0 74.3
Normalised Profit After Tax before amortisation of acquired intangibles
(Normalised NPATA) 894.4 729.6
Significant items
30 Sep 2019
A$ million Before tax After tax
Contingent retention arrangements relating to the acquisitions (42.1) (35.0)
Acquisition related transaction, integration and restructuring costs (22.9) (19.0)
Net loss from significant items (65.0) (54.0)
Significant Items:
Contingent retention arrangements related to the
acquisitions of Plarium and Big Fish: The Group’s reported
result after tax for the period includes an expense of $35
million relating to the contingent retention arrangements for
the acquisitions of Plarium and Big Fish.
Acquisition related transaction, integration and restructuring
costs: The Group’s reported result after tax for the period
includes an expense of $19 million relating to an onerous
lease provision for the Big Fish Seattle premises, which was
committed to by previous ownership.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
18 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
BALANCE SHEET
The balance sheet can be summarised as follows:
A$ million 30 Sep 2019 31 Mar 2019 30 Sep 2018
Variance
%
Cash and cash equivalents 568.6 504.0 428.1 32.8
Property, plant and equipment 431.2 415.3 389.3 10.8
Intangible assets 4,008.3 3,882.8 3,898.8 2.8
Other assets 1,328.9 1,201.4 1,130.6 17.5
Total assets 6,337.0 6,003.5 5,846.8 8.4
Non-current borrowings 2,792.7 2,933.8 2,881.1 (3.1)
Payables, provisions and other liabilities 1,400.7 1,182.7 1,233.2 13.6
Total equity 2,143.6 1,887.0 1,732.5 23.7
Total liabilities and equity 6,337.0 6,003.5 5,846.8 8.4
Net working capital 248.0 228.5 62.0 300.0
Net working capital / revenue 5.6 5.6 1.7 3.9pts
Net debt / (cash) 2,224.1 2,429.8 2,453.0 9.3
Significant balance sheet movements from 30 September
2018 are:
Cash and cash equivalents: The increase in cash reflects the
strong cash flow generation capability of the business which
provides opportunities to fund growth.
Net working capital: The increase was driven by revenue
growth, particularly in the Land-based business where there
was compression at the period end due to the timing of new
product releases.
Property, plant and equipment: The increase reflects the
strong growth in the Americas Gaming Operations installed
base, up 9% on prior comparative period, and leasehold
improvements associated with new premises.
Non-current borrowings: The reduction is largely due to
the repayment of US$200 million of the Term Loan B facility
during the reporting period, partly offset by the impact of
foreign exchange on the US dollar denominated loan facility.
Total equity: The change in total equity reflects the result
for the period and changes in reserves due to currency
movements, net of dividends paid during the period.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
19 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
The movement in net debt (debt less cash), after eliminating foreign exchange movements is set out below:
Operating cash flow
A$ million 2019 2018
Change
%
EBITDA 1,596.8 1,328.6 20.2
Change in net working capital (186.0) 69.1 n/a
Subtotal 1,410.8 1,397.7 0.9
Interest and tax (349.7) (313.0) (11.7)
Acquisition related and significant items (cash and non-cash) (63.5) (107.3) 40.8
Other cash and non-cash movements 87.9 (43.6) n/a
Operating cash flow 1,085.5 933.8 16.2
Operating cash flow less capex 768.9 664.8 15.7
Consolidated cash flow
A$ million 2019 2018
Change
%
Operating cash flow 1,085.5 933.8 16.2
Capex (316.6) (269.0) (17.7)
Acquisitions and divestments (20.8) (1,938.6) 98.9
Investing cash flow (337.4) (2,207.6) 84.7
Proceeds from borrowings - 1,660.0 n/a
Repayment of borrowings (293.1) (225.8) (29.8)
Dividends and share payments (337.2) (299.0) (12.8)
Financing cash flow (630.3) 1,135.2 n/a
Net increase/(decrease) in cash 117.8 (138.6) n/a
Operating cash flow increased 16.2% to $1,085.5 million
compared to the prior corresponding period, reflecting
continued strong performance and cash flow capabilities
across the businesses with a higher proportion of recurring
revenues, driven by growth in Americas Gaming Operations
and the full period impact of the Digital acquisitions.
Interest and tax increased 11.7% due to the full period
impact of the acquisitions.
Acquisition related and significant items in the current period
include largely provisions relating to contingent retention
arrangements for Plarium and Big Fish and an onerous
contract provision relating to the Big Fish Seattle premises.
Capital expenditure relates primarily to investment in
hardware to support continued strong growth in the
Americas Gaming Operations installed base and leasehold
improvements relating to new premises.
Cash flow in the statutory format is set out in the financial
statements.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
20 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
FUNDING AND LIQUIDITY
The Group had committed loan facilities of $3.0 billion as at
30 September 2019, comprising a US$1.9 billion Term Loan
B (TLB) facility and a $150 million revolving facility.
During the period, Aristocrat successfully renegotiated its
$100 million revolving facility which was due to mature in
October 2019. The facility limit was increased to $150 million
and the maturity date extended to July 2024. This facility
remains undrawn and provides the Group with competitively
priced financing as well as increased flexibility and overall
liquidity. The Group repaid US$200 million of the Term
Loan B facility during the second half of the year, reflecting
Aristocrat’s strong cash balance and liquidity position
providing the business with flexibility to repay debt.
The Group’s facilities are summarised as follows:
Facility
Drawn as at
30 Sep 2019 Limit
Maturity
date
Term Loan B
facility US$1,900.0m US$1,900.0m Oct 2024
Revolving
facility A$0.0m A$150.0m Jul 2024
Overdraft
facilities A$0.0m A$8.0m
Annual
Review
The Group’s interest and debt coverage ratios are as follows
(x):
* EBITDA refers to Consolidated EBITDA for the Group as defined in
Aristocrat’s Syndicated Facility Agreement (also referred to as Bank EBITDA).
** Interest expense shown above includes ongoing finance fees relating to
bank debt facility arrangements, such as line fees.
The Group’s leverage (net debt / EBITDA) reduced over
the reporting period, from 1.7x pro-forma at 30 September
2018 to 1.4x at 30 September 2019 reflecting both earnings
growth and free cash flow generation.
CREDIT RATINGS
The Group maintains credit ratings from both Moody’s
Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s to support its Term
Loan B facility arrangements.
As at 30 September 2019, Aristocrat holds credit ratings of
BB+ from Standard & Poor’s and Ba1 from Moody’s.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
30 Sep 2018 31 Mar 2019 30 Sep 2019
EBITDA*/interest
expense** (x)
Gross debt/
EBITDA* (x)
Net debt (cash)/
EBITDA* (x)
11.4
2.0 1.7
11.7
2.0 1.6
12.7
1.7 1.4
0x
5x
10x
15x
21 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIVIDENDS
The Directors have authorised a final fully franked dividend
of 34.0 cents per share (A$217.1 million), in respect to the
12-month period ended 30 September 2019. Total dividends
in respect of the 2019 year amount to 56.0 cents per share
($357.1 million) and represents an increase of 21.7% (or 10.0
cents), reflective of growth in performance, strength of cash
flows and improvement in gearing levels.
The dividend is expected to be declared and paid on 17
December 2019 to shareholders on the register at 5.00pm
on 29 November 2019. The dividend will be fully franked.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Given the extent of the Group’s global operations and
the percentage of its earnings derived from overseas, its
reported results are impacted by movements in foreign
exchange rates.
In the 12 months to 30 September 2019, the Australian
dollar was, on average, weaker against the US dollar when
compared to the prior corresponding period.
The impact of translating foreign currency (translational
impact) increased revenue by $283.6 million, while
increasing normalised profit after tax and before amortisation
of acquired intangibles by $63.2 million on a weighted
average basis when compared with rates prevailing in the
respective months in the prior corresponding period. In
addition, as at 30 September 2019, the cumulative effect
of the retranslation of the net assets of foreign controlled
entities (recognised through the foreign currency translation
reserve) was a credit balance of $139.2 million (compared to
a credit balance of $51.9 million as at 30 September 2018).
Based on the Group’s mix of profitability, the major exposure
to translational foreign exchange results from the Group’s
US dollar profits. A US dollar 1 cent change in the US$:A$
exchange rate results in an estimated annualised $12 million
translational impact on the Group’s annual profit after tax and
before amortisation of acquired intangibles. This impact will
vary as the magnitude and mix of overseas profits change.
Foreign exchange rates compared with prior corresponding
periods for key currencies are as follows:
A$: 30 Sep 2019 31 Mar 2019 30 Sep 2018
2019
Average¹
2018
Average¹
USD 0.6751 0.7099 0.7224 0.7018 0.7573
NZD 1.0780 1.0427 1.0902 1.0573 1.0892
EUR 0.6193 0.6327 0.6223 0.6245 0.6362
GBP 0.5492 0.5454 0.5541 0.5519 0.5621
ZAR 10.2293 10.2321 10.2183 10.0755 9.9573
ARS 38.8778 30.7823 29.8258 30.5052 18.3765
1. Average of monthly exchange rates only. No weighting applied.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
GROUP PERFORMANCE
22 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
Segment profit represents earnings before interest and tax,
and before significant items associated with the acquisitions
of Plarium and Big Fish, charges for D&D expenditure,
amortisation of acquired intangibles and corporate costs.
The total amount of these items is disclosed in the Group’s
Statement of Profit or Loss. Constant currency amounts refer
to 2019 results restated using exchange rates applying in
2018.
AMERICAS
Summary Profit or Loss
US$ million 2019 20181 Variance %
Revenue 1,363.1 1,193.8 14.2
Profit 750.6 649.9 15.5
Margin 55.1% 54.4% 0.7 pts
1. Comparative period has been restated per note 6-8 in the financial
statements.
In local currency, Americas profits increased by 15.5% to
US$750.6 million driven by strong growth in the Class III
Premium and Class II Gaming Operations footprint and
Class III Outright Sales portfolio; led by continued depth and
strength in the product portfolio and continued penetration
into adjacent markets, including VLT Atlantic Canada, VLT
Manitoba, Washington CDS and Bartop Poker.
North America Gaming Operations units and
Average US$ fee/day
The Class III Premium Gaming Operations installed base
grew 14% fuelled by continued penetration of the market-
leading game Dragon Link™ on the Arc Single™ cabinet
together with the successful debut of the high-performing
game Buffalo Diamond™ on the Flame55™ cabinet.
Aristocrat successfully launched the new Edge X™ cabinet
with Mad Max Fury Road™, Farmville™ and its pop icon
title Madonna™, and Dollar Storm™ on the new MarsX™
cabinet, the first multi-site jackpot product in the Lightning
Link™ and Dragon Link™ series.
The Class III Premium Gaming Operations installed base
will continue to be supported by a strong product portfolio
across a diverse range of product segments. Aristocrat will
release a range of new titles in FY20, including Zorro: Wild
Ride™ and Billions™ on the Flame55™ cabinet, Star Trek:
Next Generation™ on the Edge X™ cabinet, and Cash
Express: Luxury Line™, which is a continuation of the award-
winning Cash Express™.
Average fee per day across Class II and Class III Premium
Gaming Operations increased 1.3%, driven by game
performance across the portfolio, while maximising floor
share and placements.
In Class II Gaming Operations, placements increased by
3.9% supported by incremental Ovation™ units while
sustaining the existing mechanical footprint.
The Class II Gaming Operations installed base will continue
to be supported by the release of Helix XT™ and MarsX™
cabinets, which include 4K graphics displayed on a curved
42” screen and more than 40 back-catalogue games
including Welcome to Fantastic Jackpots™, Cash Current™,
Wild Up ReSpins™, and Cash Up™.
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
REGIONAL SEGMENT REVIEW
Class III
premium units
Gaming operations
US$/dayClass II units
+9%
U
S$ per day
1
U
ni
ts
16,161
20,114 22,998
22,437
24,264
25,220
38,598
44,378
48,218
$47.78
$49.79 $50.46
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
2017¹ 2018¹ 2019
1. Comparative periods have been restated per note 6-8 in the financial
statements.
23 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
North America Outright Sales units and Average US$
Price / unit
Outright Sales revenue increased by 22% compared to the
prior corresponding period driven by the continued strength
of the overall portfolio led by Helix XT™, Helix Tower™ and
Arc™ cabinets. The MarsX™ dual screen cabinet launched
in July with a suite of five dedicated titles, spearheaded by
Buffalo Gold Revolution™. The depth of the MarsX™ launch
library has led to strong early performance.
In addition, Aristocrat continued its expansion into adjacent
markets, including VLT, Washington CDS and the Multigame
and Poker segment.
ASP remains strong, however slightly lower than prior
periods, driven by expansion into the new adjacent markets.
Video ASP remains in line with prior period driven by strong
performance of Helix XT™ and Helix Tower™.
Latin America Outright Sales units, Average US$ Price / unit
and Recurring Revenue installed base
Latin America revenue decreased 1.3% compared to the
prior corresponding period driven by challenging conditions
in the Mexico and Argentina markets. Steady growth in the
Gaming Operations segment continues, supported by the
penetration of Lightning Link™.
Platforms Average US$ price/platform unitConversions
U
S$ per unit
U
ni
ts 12
,5
75
13
,3
18
17
,2
62
2,
50
6
3,
14
7
2,
46
4
$18,892 $18,682
$18,097
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
20,000
24,000
0
2,000
6,000
10,000
14,000
18,000
2017 2018 2019
+30% PlatformGrowth
Platforms Average US$ price/platform unit
Recurring revenue
installed base
U
S$ per unit
U
ni
ts
2,
41
5
2,
03
6
1,
51
2
3,
64
4 4,
64
4
5,
03
6
$14,008
$15,081
$14,870
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
2017 2018 2019
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
REGIONAL SEGMENT REVIEW
24 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Summary Profit or Loss
A$ million
Constant currency
2019 2018
Variance
%
Revenue 455.2 454.5 0.2
Profit 213.2 207.1 2.9
Margin 46.8% 45.6% 1.2 pts
ANZ revenue increased by 0.2% to $455 million in constant
currency compared to the prior corresponding period, while
overall profit increased by 2.9% to $213.2 million.
ANZ margin expanded by 120 bps to 46.8% driven by
favourable commercial mix towards recurring revenue.
ANZ Outright Sales units and Average A$ Price / unit
The average cabinet selling price increased slightly from the
prior corresponding period driven by positive cabinet mix to
Helix+™ and Helix XT™.
The ANZ business also sustained strong ship share across
the market, driven by the launch of our premium Helix X™
cabinet with the latest Lightning Link™ and Dragon Link™
game releases.
INTERNATIONAL CLASS III
Summary Profit or Loss
A$ million
Constant currency
2019 2018
Variance
%
Revenue 195.2 210.5 (7.3)
Profit 89.6 103.4 (13.3)
Margin 45.9% 49.1% (3.2) pts
Class III
Platforms 5,664 6,018 (5.9)
International Class III revenue and profit decreased 7.3%
and 13.3% respectively to $195 million and $89.6 million
compared to the prior corresponding period, with fewer
significant new openings and expansions in APAC, partially
offset by continued growth in EMEA.
The EMEA business launched Helix XT™ and the first
Lightning Link™ Lounge concept during the year. EMEA
continue to take market share in Class II Bingo following the
successful launch in South Africa late in the prior reporting
period.
Platforms Average A$ price/platform unitConversions
A$ per unit
U
ni
ts
14
,3
77

14
,0
79

13
,4
25

4,
21
4
6,
29
4
4,
22
5
$20,348 $20,487
$21,252
10,000
14,000
18,000
22,000
26,000
0
4,000
8,000
12,000
16,000
2017 2018 2019
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
REGIONAL SEGMENT REVIEW
25 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
DIGITAL
Summary Profit or Loss
US$ million 2019 2018
Variance
%
Bookings 1,227.8 1,013.9 21.1
Revenue 1,252.2 1,009.2 24.1
Profit 370.2 330.8 11.9
Margin 29.6% 32.8% (3.2) pts
Digital revenue increased by 24% compared to the prior
corresponding period, reflective of the full period impact
of the Big Fish and Plarium acquisitions. The acquisitions
delivered an additional US$239.5 million of revenue
compared to the prior corresponding period.
On a pro-forma basis, revenue grew 8% compared to the
prior corresponding period, driven by successful new game
launches in the Social Casual segment, which includes our
latest evergreen franchise, RAID: Shadow Legends™.
Our Social Casino portfolio, as a whole, remained stable,
with pro-forma revenue growing at 2% compared to the
prior corresponding period. This is reflective of a maturing
market, compounded by a steady decline in players across
the industry.
Digital profits increased 11.9% to US$370.2 million
with segment margin moderating to 29.6% in line with
expectations, due to:
— the full period impact of the lower margin Social
Casual segment introduced through the prior period
acquisitions;
— targeted investment in the development of new features
and live operations in Social Casino; and
— significant marketing investment behind the successful
launch of RAID: Shadow Legends™, launched globally in
March 2019.
Bookings1 by Type
1. Bookings are an operational metric reflecting the amount of virtual
currency, virtual goods and premium games the consumer has purchased.
Reported revenue comprises bookings adjusted for deferred revenue.
Social Casino
The Social Casino segment contributed US$638.0 million in
bookings, an increase of 12% on the prior period, driven by
the full period impact of the Big Fish acquisition.
The focus for the Social Casino segment will remain on
leveraging the strong slot content capabilities across
Aristocrat and enhancing offerings in our existing franchises
through a strong pipeline of new features, including
collectables, social features, missions, and live operations.
Social Casual
The Social Casual segment contributed US$589.8 million
in bookings in the period, an increase of 33% compared to
the prior corresponding period, driven by successful new
game launches, including our latest evergreen franchise,
RAID: Shadow Legends™, and contributions from other
new games such as Lost Island: Blast Adventure™ and Toy
Story Drop!™. Our older titles performed well and above
expectations for games that have been in the market for over
five years. We remain focused on these titles by delivering
continued live operations and content aimed at maintaining
the existing player base.
Aristocrat remains focused on utilising our talent and
capabilities across game design, data, marketing and market
intelligence across the entire Digital portfolio, to deliver a
growth pipeline of new games focused on our target players.
Social Casino Social Casual
Bo
ok
in
gs
U
S$
m
+21%
Bookings Growth
292.8
568.8
638.0
445.1
589.8
1,013.9
1,227.8
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
2017 2018 2019
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
REGIONAL SEGMENT REVIEW
26 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
Daily Active Users (DAU) and Average US$
bookings per DAU (ABPDAU)
Daily Active Users (DAU) moderated to 7.5 million, driven by
new game launches in the Social Casual segment that were
offset by a decline in the Social Casino segment, as we focus
our efforts on monetising the existing player base, consistent
with industry trends.
ABPDAU grew US1c compared to the prior corresponding
period, representing our focus on continued growth in
Social Casino monetisation, offset by the growth of our
Social Casual segment which monetises at a lower rate, but
attracting large player bases.
Reconciliation of Revenue to Bookings (US$ millions)
US$ million 2019 2018 2017
Revenue 1,252.2 1,009.2 292.8
Deferred revenue (24.4) 4.7 -
Bookings 1,227.8 1,013.9 292.8
Digital pro-forma disclosures
US$ million 2019 2018
Variance
%
Bookings
(US$ million) 1,227.8 1,161.8 5.7
DAU period end
(million) 7.5 8.1 (7.4)
On a pro-forma basis, bookings grew 5.7% to US$1,227.8
million driven by new game launches in the Social Casual
segment, which includes our latest evergreen franchise,
RAID: Shadow Legends™, modest growth from our Social
Casino franchises, partly offset by a declining Premium PC
business and legacy titles within the portfolio.
DAU
Period end
(million)
ABPDAU
Full year
(US$)
2017 2018 2019
1.7
8.1
7.5
0.53
0.40 0.41
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
REGIONAL SEGMENT REVIEW
27 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
The identification and management of risks that could impact Aristocrat’s strategic and financial objectives is essential to good
corporate governance, and the protection of long-term shareholder value.
The Group’s Risk Management Framework defines how Aristocrat assesses, treats, monitors and reports risks, both current and
emerging, and includes a Risk Appetite Statement indicating the level of risk the Group is willing to accept in the execution of
its strategy.
While Aristocrat has a strong track record of managing multiple and complex risks, some inherent risks remain, including a
number not directly within the Group’s control. Key risks currently identified as relevant to Aristocrat are set out below.
Risk and Description Example Mitigations
Economic and Gaming Industry Conditions
A decline in economic/gaming industry conditions could:
— adversely affect the ability of our Land-based customers to
finance their operations;
— impact the disposable incomes of players and therefore
spending on entertainment activities.
This could decrease demand for our products and services
impacting Group revenues.
— Monitoring of economic and gaming industry conditions
— Periodic re-evaluation of corporate strategy
— Diversification of product and service offerings, with solid
growth in recurring revenues
— Expansion of addressable markets
— Broadening of our geographic footprint
Geopolitical Environment
Our operations and those of our delivery partners exposed
to unstable geopolitical environments could impact
employee engagement, health and safety and our ability to
innovate and create content should geopolitical conditions
deteriorate.
— Robust assessment of geopolitical conditions prior to new
market entry
— Monitoring of international issues, economic and political
indicators
— Monitoring and evaluation of legislation
— Maintenance of strong relationships with key stakeholders
in affected markets
— Implementation and enhancement of our business
continuity, resilience and redundancy measures
— Diversification of studios/locations
Disruption
Failure to adequately respond to disruption through
innovation and robust market strategies, in the Land-based
and Digital businesses, could impact our market share, and
financial and strategic objectives.
— Continuous monitoring and re-evaluation of company
strategy to account for changing trends, consumer
behaviours, technology changes and competitor initiatives
— Expansion and diversification of products, services and
markets. Targeting of adjacent markets
— Capital allocation to reflect the importance of disruption
and the need to advance product development in an agile
manner
— Strategic M&A
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
PRINCIPAL RISKS
28 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
Risk and Description Example Mitigations
Competition and Product Innovation
The consolidation and entry of new market participants in the
Land-based and Digital markets, requires us to continuously
innovate, and create new content to retain and grow market
share.
If we fail to innovate and produce market viable products
and services, there is an increased risk of growth stagnation,
reduction in market share, and decreases in Group revenue.
— Continued investment in skills and talent, and retention
strategies
— Diversification of markets and expansion of addressable
markets
— Strong Design and Development investment and rigorous
focus on returns
— Use of strategic partnerships
— Strategic M&A
Government Gaming Regulation (Land and Digital)
Land-based
A change in government or regulatory policies may impact
our operations or our customers’ operations. Further,
changes in laws or regulations or their interpretation or
enforcement could impact our ability to operate or deliver
our strategies.
Difficulties or delays in obtaining or maintaining required
licences or approvals could negatively impact our business.
This could affect our financial performance.
Social Gaming
Social games are generally not subject to product regulation.
However, the industry is relatively new and stakeholder
expectations are evolving. New regulations have the capacity
to impact our operations.
Land-based
— Maintenance of a comprehensive regulatory compliance
function and governance framework to monitor
the political and regulatory environment across our
jurisdictions, and to evaluate compliance to regulatory
requirements
— Robust reputation, government relations, industry
association and regulatory strategies
Social Gaming
— Monitoring of developments, proposals and rules enacted
by government, industry and digital platform providers
— Active shaping of industry dialogue and constructive
participation in broader debates regarding social
games to inform, educate and appropriately respond to
stakeholder expectations
Cyber/Data Governance
Uncontrolled access to systems and sensitive data could
result in business disruption, financial loss, fines, prosecution
and reputational damage with our customers, employees
and shareholders.
— Publication and implementation of a global information
security policy
— Implementation of robust and compulsory information
security training program
— Continued review and investment in cyber security
measures and capabilities to improve organisational
maturity
— Review and enhancement of our data management
practices, procedures and expertise
— Maintenance of a business resilience program
Talent
Inability to recruit and retain key talent impacts our ability to
deliver on our strategy and business objectives.
— Refreshed talent management and competency
framework
— Continuous focus on company culture and improvement
of Employee Value Proposition
— Review of incentive and rewards programs
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
PRINCIPAL RISKS
29 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
Risk and Description Example Mitigations
Distribution Platforms
If digital platform partners enforce unfavourable terms of
use, including increased fees, or shutdown our applications,
this could result in higher operating costs, lower margins and
restrict access to customers/players.
— Continued development of in-house platforms
— Monitoring of latest developments, proposals and rules
enacted by platform partners
— Ongoing and proactive dialogue with platform partners
Intellectual Property
Theft of, or inability to protect our intellectual property (IP)
could result in a loss of competitive advantage due to loss
of exclusivity, suppressed innovation, and/or reputation and
brand damage. This could impact our revenues.
— Formalised processes for registering trademarks,
copyrights and patents, including the establishment of
quotas
— Investment in capability to support IP management
— Engagement of internal/external legal support
— Contracts with third parties using Aristocrat IP preclude
improper use of IP
— Continued ‘zero tolerance’ approach to IP breaches, and
rigorous enforcement culture
Tax
Changes in tax law (including goods and services taxes and
stamp duties), or the way they are interpreted, may impact
the tax liabilities of the Group and the assets in which we hold
an interest.
— Monitoring of changes in tax legislation using in-house
and external tax specialists and legal advisors
— Maintenance of a robust Tax Governance Framework
setting out our approach to tax risk management and
governance
— Preparation of an annual Voluntary Tax Transparency Code
Report for public consumption
Treasury
Unfavourable movements in foreign exchange or interest
rates could increase our operating costs.
— Implementation of a robust foreign exchange policy
— Implementation of a comprehensive capital management
strategy, including interest rate hedging strategy
Unplanned Operational Incident
Operational incident within the business impacts employee
health and wellbeing, or the ability to deliver upon our
contractual requirements, resulting in lost revenue and
reputational impacts.
— Business Resilience Framework including Business
Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans
— Implementation of Crisis Management Program and tool
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW
PRINCIPAL RISKS
30 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
This Remuneration Report for Aristocrat Leisure Limited
and its controlled entities (Group) for the 12 months ended
30 September 2019 (Reporting Period or FY2019) has
been prepared in accordance with section 300A of the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act), forms part of the
Directors’ Report and has been audited as required by
section 308(3C) of the Act.
Terms used in this Remuneration Report are defined in the
Glossary on page 54.
AT A GLANCE – ALIGNMENT BETWEEN
PERFORMANCE AND OUTCOMES
Stretch NPATA and EPSA targets set by the Board
— Challenging NPATA target (70% weighting) of $833.6m
(on a constant currency basis1) set by the Board in
connection with FY2019 STI grant, which was a 34%
increase on the FY2018 STI target.
— Stretch EPSA target was set by the Board in connection
with the FY2017 LTI grants that vested this year:
Award year Threshold target Maximum target
FY17 10% 15%
FY16 7.5% 12.5%
— Both NPATA and EPSA targets were set in the context of
broadly flat key markets and segments, with these markets
and segments remaining broadly flat over the course of
the relevant STI and LTI performance periods.
— Both organic and inorganic growth was taken into account
by the Board in setting EPSA growth targets.
• The 7.5%/12.5% min/max EPSA targets in respect of
FY2016 grants were set on the basis that both organic
and inorganic growth would be required in order for
those targets to be achievable.
• The Board then applied further stretch to the
EPSA targets under the FY2017 LTI grant (10%/15%
min/max).
STI outcomes and performance in FY2019
Senior Executives received on average 102% of their
STI target award (compared to the maximum target STI
opportunity of 200%), supported by NPATA increasing by
22.6% to $894.4 million (in reported currency) from the prior
corresponding period.
— Strong NPATA of $894.4 million ($834.2 million on a
constant currency basis1), which was 100% of target,
was driven through management delivering strong
growth through the continued gain of market share
across broadly flat existing markets, while capturing
opportunities in new adjacent markets and segments.
— Strong FCF Conversion of 102%, which was 108% of
target, reflecting cash flow discipline and allowing
Aristocrat to fund growth initiatives.
LTI outcomes and performance in FY2019
100% of PSRs awarded to Executive KMP under the 2017 LTI
Grant vested following testing against the Relative TSR and
Relevant EPSA performance measures.
— 100% of the Relative TSR component (30% of total grant)
vested as Aristocrat’s TSR performance was 109.26%, with
Aristocrat 10th in its Peer Comparator Group and ranked
at the 90th percentile.
— 100% of the Relevant EPSA component (30% of total
grant) vested based on a strong three-year EPSA CAGR of
31.0%.
— Strong Relevant EPSA growth of 31.0%, was driven
through management delivering strong growth through
the continued gain of market share across broadly flat
existing markets, while capturing opportunities in new
adjacent markets and segments.
1. Constant currency basis as set out in the approved budget.
31 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
OTHER KEY ITEMS TO HIGHLIGHT IN 2019
The Board has approved certain changes to the
remuneration framework and also adopted enhanced
disclosure practices in connection with a number of
remuneration related matters. These included:
— Taking into account feedback from investors and other
external stakeholders and having considered a number
of other LTI performance measures, including various
return metrics, the Board approved a transition from a
Relevant EPSA to a Relevant EPS hurdle (30% weighting)
in connection with future LTI grants.
— In addition to required statutory disclosures, introducing
retrospective disclosure in this Remuneration Report
of the actual quantitative STI targets (NPATA and FCF
Conversion) set by the Board, together with disclosure of
actual performance against those targets.
— Also expanding our disclosures on methodologies
relating to target setting, including how hurdles are
determined to ensure challenging stretch targets are set
and what factors the Human Resources & Remuneration
Committee and Board take into account in setting
stretch targets.
— Strengthening the clawback provisions that apply to
unvested and vested incentives and including additional
governance features into the process of testing incentive
grants to continue to ensure a link between remuneration
and risk.
— Implementing a minimum shareholding policy for Non-
Executive Directors to acquire (within a five-year period) a
minimum shareholding equivalent in value to their annual
base fee.
The Board believes that these changes further enhance
Aristocrat’s remuneration framework and the additional
disclosure practices mean that Aristocrat continues to
provide clear and transparent disclosure.
32 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
REMUNERATION REPORT OVERVIEW
List of KMPs – FY2019
Table 1 below outlines the KMP and their movements during FY2019
KMP Position Location Term as KMP
Non-Executive Directors
NG Chatfield Chair1; Director Australia Full financial year
KM Conlon Director Australia Full financial year
SW Morro Lead US Director2 United States Full financial year
PJ Ramsey Director United States Full financial year
AM Tansey Director Australia Full financial year
S Summers Couder Director United States Full financial year
ID Blackburne Chair1; Director Australia Retired on 21 February 2019
Executive KMP
T Croker CEO and Managing Director United States Full financial year
J Cameron-Doe CFO United States Full financial year
M Bowen CEO Global Land Based and Chief Transformation Officer3 Australia Full financial year
M Wilson Managing Director, Americas United States Ceased to be employed on 16 September 2019
J Sevigny President, Video Gaming Technologies United States Ceased to be employed on 5 March 2019
J Goldstein Chief Digital Officer United States Ceased to be employed on 4 October 2018
1. Mr Chatfield’s appointment as Chair took effect immediately following the retirement of Dr ID Blackburne on 21 February 2019 at the end of the 2019 Annual
General Meeting.
2. One Non-Executive Director acts as the Lead US Director. The Lead US Director assists the Board with review and oversight of Aristocrat’s North American
business, which accounts for approximately 77% of the Group’s land-based business.
3. Mr Bowen was promoted to the role of CEO Global Land Based and Chief Transformation Officer during the Reporting Period. Prior to this, Mr Bowen was
Managing Director, ANZ & International.
Non-Executive Director appointment after Reporting Period but before date of Remuneration Report
Mr P Etienne was nominated as a Non-Executive Director after the Reporting Period on 1 October 2019, subject to receipt of
all relevant regulatory pre-approvals. These regulatory approvals were subsequently received and Mr Etienne’s appointment
as a Non-Executive Director of the Company was confirmed on 7 November 2019, subject to shareholder approval at the
Annual General Meeting in February 2020.
33 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
REMUNERATION PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY
The following principles guide Aristocrat’s remuneration strategy and ‘pay for performance’ philosophy. The Board is
confident the current remuneration framework supports and drives its business strategy and Group out-performance.
Aristocrat is one of a small group of ASX listed companies that derives the majority of its revenues from overseas markets and
is genuinely global in its structure and operations. Although Aristocrat is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, it has
over 6,400 employees based globally across 80 countries and is licensed in more than 320 jurisdictions.
Aristocrat’s senior leadership is predominantly US based, and the business must increasingly attract and retain leaders in
US and other markets with technology and global management skillsets. US market practice (in particular) places a greater
emphasis on at-risk opportunity, and significant equity grants are commonly used for talent attraction and retention (than in
Australia).
The significant expansion of Aristocrat’s digital business, which now contributes 40.7% of Group revenue, reinforces the need
for Aristocrat’s remuneration structures to evolve and take into account global pay philosophies, particularly those in the
technology industry.
The Board therefore continues to review the structure of Aristocrat’s incentive schemes to ensure they are globally competitive
and effective in retaining, attracting and motivating the leadership and talent it needs to drive business strategy and financial
performance in the interests of shareholders, while continuing to reflect our ‘pay for performance’ philosophy.
The world map above displays the global location of Aristocrat’s employees, with the size of each circle illustrating the number of employees based in that country.
Alignment to shareholder interests and
sustainable shareholder returns
Performance based – link rewards to
business results and strategy
Encourage behaviours consistent with values
and deliver good customer outcomes
Robust governance with focus on risk
management
Reflect the markets we recruit from
and need to be competitive in
AUS
NZ
GBR IND
ARG
USA
MEX
CAN
MAC
UKR
ISR
RUS
SGP
PHL
EU
34 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
SENIOR EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION
FRAMEWORK
Executive remuneration mix
Total remuneration includes both a fixed component and an
at-risk or performance-related component (governing both
short-term and long-term incentives). The Board views the at-
risk component as an essential driver of a high performance
culture and one that contributes to achievement of superior
shareholder returns.
The following illustration shows the remuneration mix for
the Executive KMP in FY2019. It has been modelled on
the average of the Executive KMP’s target opportunity (but
excluding any contractual severance entitlements).
The Board aims to achieve a balance between fixed and
performance-related components of remuneration. The
actual remuneration mix for the Executive KMP will vary
depending on the level of performance achieved at a Group,
business unit and individual level.
Market insights
Aristocrat engages external consultants1 to provide insights
into comparative executive remuneration practices and pay
mix practices between Australian and global labour markets
in which Aristocrat competes for talent2. These insights
highlight the following:
— The remuneration mix in the North American market is
generally much more leveraged to variable pay through
use of the LTI than the Australian market. As an example,
the total variable component in the CEO remuneration
mix for the US is observed to be 75%, compared to 64% in
Australia. Specifically with reference to LTI, the Australian
CEO’s total remuneration comprises 34% LTI, whereas in
the US, it can be as high as 59%.
— Australian executive remuneration policies are far more
conservative than those in the US – not just in terms of the
level of LTI grants awarded to executives but also in terms
of the pay-for-performance mechanics of incentive plans.
— In both markets, the most prevalent approach is for
companies to employ a 3-year LTI performance period.
— It is common practice for US technology companies to
offer a LTI plan to their executives which is split 50/50
between performance-based awards and time-based
awards only.
— The US technology sector shows a higher prevalence of
time-based stock awards in comparison to performance-
based stock awards. To illustrate, over 80% of companies
in the US technology sector employ time vested restricted
stock as part of incentive arrangements.
— Analysis of typical vesting scales in the US versus Australia
reveals that Australian LTI plans tend to have higher
performance thresholds in their plans compared to
the US, which means that executives are ‘in-the-money’
at lower levels of performance in the US compared to
Australia.
CEO
Other Executive KMP
Deferred
equity
64%
At-risk
76%
Cash
36%Fixed
24%
Deferred
equity
47%
At-risk
59.6%
Cash
53%
Fixed
40.4%
Fixed
24.0%
Cash STI
12.0%
Deferred STI
12.0%
LTI
52.0%
Fixed
40.4%
Cash STI
12.6%
Deferred STI
12.6%
LTI
34.4%
1. Source: Aon.
2. Analysis conducted by Aon on comparator group of organisations based
on comparable size and operations to Aristocrat, including ASX listed
companies with significant US operations.
35 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
Table 2 Senior Executive Remuneration structure and framework
Value determined by
— Individual skills, performance,
experience and contribution to
Aristocrat with reference to similar
roles in global competitors and
companies within a range of
Aristocrat’s market capitalisation
— Global geographic location
— Onerous probity requirements by
regulators also considered
Achievement of both annual
financial and non-financial
performance at a:
— Group level
— Business unit level
— Individual level
— Relative TSR – 30% weighting
— Relevant EPSA – 30% weighting
— Individual performance based
vesting condition – 40%
weighting
Delivered as
Cash and superannuation
(or equivalents)
50% cash
25% deferred for 12 months
as an award of PSRs
25% deferred for 24 months
as an award of PSRs
Award of PSRs vesting after
36 months
Why it is paid?
Provides competitive ongoing
remuneration in recognition of
day-to-day accountabilities
— Supports annual delivery of
key strategic targets and to
recognise and reward individual
performance
— Deferral into equity supports
sustained performance and more
closely aligns the interests of
executives and shareholders
— Focuses on multi-year metrics
that support sustained
shareholder value creation
— Delivered in equity to align
the interests of executives and
shareholders
SENIOR EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION STRUCTURE
Fixed
Between 24% - 50% of total target
remuneration
Fixed remuneration
Base salary, superannuation and
other benefits
Short-term incentive (STI)
Reward for strong individual and
Group performance during the
Performance Period
Long-term incentive (LTI)
Reward for longer-term
Group performance
At-risk
Between 50% - 76% of total target remuneration
36 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
HOW VARIABLE REMUNERATION IS
STRUCTURED
Short Term Incentive (STI) – how does it work?
Description
Senior Executives have the opportunity to earn an annual
incentive award which is delivered in cash and deferred
equity awards (in the form of PSRs). The STI Plan recognises
and rewards short-term performance.
The STI Plan is considered to be at-risk remuneration and is
not a guaranteed part of Senior Executive remuneration.
STI opportunity
A target opportunity is set for each Senior Executive, which
is earned if Group and individual performance is on target.
For certain Senior Executives, in a region or business unit,
a target opportunity is set which is earned if regional
performance and individual performance is on target. The
Board determines the total STI pool to be distributed.
Senior Executives (other than the CEO) have a target STI of
between 43% and 70% of fixed remuneration. The CEO has
a target STI of 100% of fixed remuneration. The maximum
STI payout is capped at 200% of a participant’s target STI
opportunity.
Financial performance conditions
No payment is made unless the STI gateway of the Business
Score Threshold (being 85% of the Business Score Goals)
is met.
For employees whose role is multi-regional or global in
nature – including all Executive KMP – their ‘Business Score
Goal’ is the result that is based on the actual financial
performance of Aristocrat in a financial year, calculated by
reference to NPATA and FCF Conversion as follows:
— NPATA – 70% weighting
— FCF Conversion – 30% weighting
The Business Score is converted into the Business Score
Multiplier according to the following chart:
Setting stretch financial performance conditions
The Board utilises the annual budget as the primary input
to determine appropriate stretch financial targets. When
approving the budget, the Board reviews the core principles
and assumptions underpinning the budget. In addition, the
Board also considers expected market growth at the time
of setting targets with the expectation that management
will outperform expected market growth (if any) and, in
the context of broadly flat markets and segments, that
management will deliver growth through the gain of
market share.
Subsequent to the budget having been finalised, the Board
determines the STI financial targets. In order to ensure
sufficient stretch is incorporated, consideration is given to
the quantifiable risks and opportunities that can influence
the Group’s financial performance. The Board considers
significant items in the context of target setting.
Non-financial performance conditions
A ratings scale is used to assess individual performance. No
payment is made for a Senior Executive who has not met or
exceeded a minimum individual performance rating.
Senior Executives are assessed on delivery against
individual KPOs. Individual targets as set out in KPOs
include consideration as to role-related accountabilities
and responsibilities in the context of business strategy and
objectives, as set out in Table 6.
0%
50%

100%

150%

250%
200%
85% 100% 105% 110% 120%
Bu
sin
es
s S
co
re
M
ul
tip
lie
r
Business Score
37 ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED Annual Report 2019
REMUNERATION REPORT
Individuals have a clear line of sight to KPOs and are able
to directly affect outcomes through their own actions.
Individuals are also assessed on behaviour metrics which
contribute to that individual’s overall performance rating.
How STI outcome is then determined
The Individual Performance Multiplier is then used to
determine the quantum of STI payment the Senior Executive
will receive.
Reasons for these performance conditions
The Board considers these performance measures to be
appropriate as they are aligned with Aristocrat’s objectives
of delivering sustainable growth and sustainable superior
returns to shareholders. In the case of FCF Conversion, this
measure was chosen as it ensures cash flow discipline, which
in turn allows Aristocrat to fund growth initiatives. In addition,
Senior Executives have a clear line of sight to the targets and
are able to affect results through their actions.
Performance measures and conditions are reviewed annually
and are subject to change as considered appropriate. The
Board has discretion to review and amend the Business
Score Goals during the performance period (up or down)
where significant unforeseen events have occurred which are
outside the control of management.
Who assesses performance?
The Board assesses performance of the CEO and Managing
Director against the performance conditions with the benefit
of advice from the HR and Remuneration Committee.
The CEO and Managing Director assesses the other
Executive KMP’s performance against the performance
conditions and makes recommendations to the HR and
Remuneration Committee which advises the Board in relation
to the CEO and Managing Director’s recommendations and
the review process.
In addition to developing and approving the KPOs of the
CEO and Managing Director, the Board has oversight and
visibility over KPOs of direct reports of the CEO at both the
time of setting and assessing performance against KPOs.
Special mitigating circumstances may be accepted,
determined or approved on a...
SOLUTION.PDF

Answer To This Question Is Available To Download

Related Questions & Answers

More Questions »

Submit New Assignment

Copy and Paste Your Assignment Here