Aristocrat Technologies eliminating some positions in Las Vegas

Australia-based slot machine manufacturer Aristocrat Technologies, which opened a $45 million campus in Summerlin in December, is downsizing its design and development division worldwide.

But Aristocrat, which has the popular Buffalo and Lightning Link slot machines in its catalogue, said of the 70 positions it intends to eliminate over the next few weeks only 15 are in its Las Vegas operation.

“The efficiency steps we recently announced internally affected only a small number of employees in Las Vegas, and a fraction of our global design and development organization,” a spokesman for the company said in an email.

“While any change that affects people is difficult, from time to time Aristocrat takes steps to better align resources with our priorities,” he said. “That reflects the pace of change and growth in our business and is simply good business practice. The changes are not part of any broader efficiency program.”

An internal memo from Chief Product Officer Rich Schneider said the design and development organization has 1,850 positions worldwide and the job eliminations would predominantly occur at the company’s Pinnacle operation in Sydney, Australia, in Reno, and at the Summerlin campus.

“Letting go of people is never something we do lightly, but rather only after thorough consideration of all options,” Schneider said in his memorandum.

“This decision is also no reflection on the individuals involved — it’s simply the case that we need to make choices as to where we invest, in line with our commitments and strategy, as our resources will always be finite.”

The Summerlin campus, which consists of two three-story structures of about 90,000 square feet each, is home to about 800 of the company’s roughly 1,100 Las Vegas employees.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.