Aristocrat Secures Legal Victory Over Light & Wonder in Trade Secret Dispute

September 25, 2024 World Crime & Legal Industry Updates

Slot machine maker Aristocrat Technologies Inc. achieved a legal victory against competitor Light & Wonder (L&W) in a case centered around allegations of trade secret misappropriation related to the game “Dragon Train.”

On September 23, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro granted Aristocrat a preliminary injunction in its trade-secret and copyright infringement lawsuit against Light & Wonder. This effectively prohibits L&W from selling, leasing, or commercializing “Dragon Train.”

Judge Navarro’s ruling indicated that Aristocrat is “extremely likely to succeed” in proving that L&W misappropriated its trade secrets during the development of the game. The court highlighted that L&W had gained an unfair advantage by utilizing confidential information from Aristocrat’s popular games, Dragon Link and Lightning Link, enabling them to create “Dragon Train” without the necessary investment of time and resources.

Matthew Primmer, Aristocrat’s Chief Product Officer, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. Primmer was quoted as saying in a report published by the Las Vegas-Review Journal, “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.”

Aristocrat plans to continue pursuing its case in the U.S. and has been granted pre-suit discovery against L&W in Australia. The company seeks all appropriate remedies for the alleged harm caused by L&W’s actions.

In response, L&W stated, “We respectfully disagree with the judge’s decision and will promptly file an appeal.” The company emphasized its commitment to vigorously defending against Aristocrat’s claims, which it has characterized as baseless and part of a broader strategy to undermine its competitive products.

L&W noted that the pre-ruling estimate for “Dragon Train” accounted for less than 5 percent of its projected $1.4 billion consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (AEBITDA) for 2025. The company remains optimistic about its growth trajectory, bolstered by a diverse portfolio of successful game franchises.