If you’ve played at multiple online casinos, you’ve probably noticed many similar-looking games. Online slots are typically the biggest culprit, with many companies developing their own versions of popular game franchises. The same holds true for popular table games or table game mechanics.
A pair of ongoing lawsuits could change how new games are designed. Light & Wonder is currently battling a lawsuits from both Aristocrat Technologies and Evolution Gaming.
The companies accuse Light & Wonder with copyright infringements, claiming it uses copycat elements in its games.
Key Highlights
- Aristocrat sued Light & Wonder over IP infringement and received an injunction against Dragon Train.
- Light & Wonder stock price dropped 19% after the injunction.
- Evolution Gaming sued Light & Wonder for allegedly copying elements from Lighting Roulette.
Aristocrat Sues Light & Wonder Over Dragon Train Slot Game
In March, news broke about a lawsuit from Aristocrat Technologies against Light & Wonder over the slot game Dragon Train. The lawsuit claimed that Light & Wonder had received proprietary information on Dragon Link, a slot title from Aristocrat.
The leaked information included game functionality and mathematical models. A pair of ex-Aristocrat employees allegedly supplied the information that led to the creation of Dragon Train.
Fast forward to September 23, and the United States District Court for the District of Nevada granted a preliminary injunction blocking the distribution of Dragon Train slots.
“We are extremely pleased with the court’s decision. This ruling underscores the value of our intellectual property and reaffirms our commitment to protecting the integrity of our business.
– Matthew Primmer – Aristocrat Chief Product Officer
Judge Gloria M. Navarro granted the injunction, stating that Aristocrat is “extremely likely to succeed in demonstrating L&W misappropriated Aristocrat’s trade secrets in [L&W’s] development of Dragon Train.”
In a press release from Aristocrat, Chief Product Officer Matthew Primmer states, “We are extremely pleased with the court’s decision. This ruling underscores the value of our intellectual property and reaffirms our commitment to protecting the integrity of our business.
We will continue to innovate and invest in cutting-edge solutions, knowing that the law protects our creative efforts.”
Light & Wonder quickly released a statement announcing it would file an appeal. The company’s stock has sharply declined since the injunction, down about 19% in the last week.
Evolution Gaming Accuses Light & Wonder of IP Theft
A second lawsuit against Light & Wonder was filed on May 28 in Nevada District Court, this time by live casino gaming powerhouse Evolution Gaming.
The lawsuit accuses L&W of using payout structures and mathematical models for Lighting Roulette to create PowerX and RouletteX games.
Initially, Evolution and L&W partnered to develop a physical version of Lightning Roulette for US brick-and-mortar casinos. Evolution claims that after the parties signed an agreement that gave L&W access to trade secrets, L&W tried to back out of the deal.
Soon after, L&W released RouletteX and later PowerX. Evolution claims the games are copycat versions of Lightning Roulette and XXXtreme Lightning Roulette.
One major difference between the Aristocrat and Evolution lawsuits is that Evolution has three US patents on its Lightning Roulette game.
Part of the agreement was that L&W would develop a physical game with elements that were part of Evolution’s patents. Evolution was to receive royalties for those elements.
Could These Lawsuits Bring Change in How Games Are Developed?
Depending on the ultimate outcomes of these lawsuits, new precedents could be set for how companies develop online casino games.
It is common to see multiple online gaming companies mimic many game elements. For example, how many games now have a cascading wins feature? Other providers refer to this feature as tumble wins, cascading reels, and Avalanche.
If these lawsuits are successful, we could see other developers file suits over similar intellectual properties. We could also start seeing companies sue over similar elements, such as games that copy theme elements.
What if the first Buffalo-themed slot game developer started suing potential copycats?
What we could start to see more of, though, is product licensing by developers. For example, Big Time Gaming created the first Megaways slot game. Now, many companies are using the Megaways mechanic through licenses from BTG.
We could see the same start to happen more with other types of mechanics. This would allow copycat elements to be used legitimately and avoid the issues that Light & Wonder currently faces.
Sources
https://www.playusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/aristocratvlightwonder.pdf
https://www.playusa.com/lawsuits-aristocrat-evolution-light-wonder-casino-games/
https://news.worldcasinodirectory.com/aristocrat-leisure-takes-legal-action-against-light-wonder-over-dragon-themed-poker-games-112518
https://www.aristocrat.com/aristocrat-secures-preliminary-injunction-in-trade-secret-misappropriation-case-against-light-wonder/
https://www.bonus.com/news/evolution-sues-light-and-wonder-over-lightning-roulette-copycat/
