Jackpot! Aussie poker machine maker gets tariff refund
An Australian poker machine maker has gotten its money back after Donald Trump’s Independence Day tariffs were lifted five months ago.
Ainsworth Game Technology, one of the world’s largest suppliers of gaming machines and software to casinos and clubs, received its $2.7 million ($3.9 million) refund on June 30.
The group’s US business had paid tariffs imposed under the Trump administration’s international emergency powers law.
Ainsworth said the refund announced Friday represents “substantially all” of the tariffs paid.
The comeback caused him to reconsider some of his predictions.
Underlying pre-tax profit is now forecast to be between $5 million and $17 million in the first half of calendar 2026, up from $1 million previously.
Total revenue expectations remained at $116 million, a decrease of approximately 24 percent.
But it expects to pay down some of its debt and see net debt fall to about $8 million from $11.8 million at the end of December.
“The reduction in net debt is attributable to tariff rebates and stronger than expected cash collections,” Ainsworth said in a statement to the stock exchange.
The refund to Ainsworth follows the US president’s shock announcement in April 2025 that he would use the law to impose tariffs of between 10 per cent and 50 per cent on goods imported into America from other countries, including Australia.
The plan sparked numerous lawsuits in the states.
In May 2025, the US Court of International Trade blocked those charges, saying Mr. Trump had exceeded his authority.
Later in August, the US Court of Appeals upheld this decision, and the Trump administration appealed to the US Supreme Court.
Legal challenges ensued before the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs as unconstitutional in November.
While the US government has reversed course and imposed a new global tariff, it still faces paying more than US$160 billion ($231 billion) in refunds plus interest.
The lawsuit against the tariffs was launched by a group of US small businesses.
Ainsworth will announce its first half results around August 25.
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