After serving as the interim leader for the past six months, Ryan Comstock has been officially named the permanent Chief Executive Officer of Ainsworth Game Technology (AGT).
The announcement, made via a formal filing with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), confirms that Comstock will lead the gaming supplier’s global operations from his base in Nevada, effective immediately.
The Path to Leadership
Comstock is a veteran of the Ainsworth ecosystem, having joined the company in 2012. He rose through the ranks to become Chief Operating Officer in 2018, a position that gave him oversight of the firm’s technical and commercial pipelines. His transition to the top role followed the sudden resignation of Harald Neumann in October 2025.
The AGT board noted that Comstock’s performance during the transition period was exemplary, stating:
“His extensive knowledge across all operational areas of the company, together with initiatives undertaken by him, were considered in determining his appointment.”
Ryan Comstock will receive a base salary of $625,000 per annum, with further performance-based incentives to be determined by the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. His appointment brings stability to the company following the controversy surrounding his predecessor, who was forced to withdraw a Nevada license renewal application due to an investigation by Austrian authorities, an event that significantly impacted the company’s reputation.
A Future Defined by Ownership Battles
Comstock takes the helm during a critical period of corporate restructuring. A bidding war is currently simmering, as Kjerulf Ainsworth, son of the company’s founder, continues his efforts to prevent the Austrian giant Novomatic from taking full control. Novomatic currently holds 66.6% of AGT shares, but remains short of the 75% threshold required to take the company private.
With a statutory block on Novomatic’s bidding expiring this June, Comstock’s primary challenge will be navigating these complex ownership dynamics while maintaining AGT’s competitive edge in the North American and Australian slot markets.
