Social casinos and online games propel poker machine giant Aristocrat to $1.3bn profit

Australian company, world’s biggest poker machine maker, boosts profit by 21% thanks to US expansion and focus on mobile

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

An Australian poker machine giant has recorded a $1.3bn profit by aggressively expanding its presence in the United States and shifting its focus to mobile video games and social casinos.

Aristocrat Leisure reported the profit for the 12 months to 30 September, up by 21% from the prior year, without adjustments for currency changes. The company was also hoping to capitalise on the legalisation of online gambling in many US states.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup