Aristocrat wins preliminary case against Light & Wonder for trade secrets infringement

Gaming solutions provider Aristocrat Technologies has achieved a significant legal victory in Aristocrat's case against Light & Wonder concerning infringement of its intellectual property, including misappropriation of its trade secrets in connection with L&W's Dragon Train game.

Aristocrat Technologies is arguing Light & Wonder’s (L&W) game ‘Dragon Train’ has several similarities to its own ‘Dragon Link’ series. Filed in February, the case accuses L&W of misappropriating its intellectual property, copying game mechanics and gameplay, and copyright infringement.

The provider also raised concerns over the role several former executives, now in senior roles at Light & Wonder, played in the development of the game. It claims L&W has "misappropriated trade secrets" relating to the Dragon Link series. M&W launched Dragon Train in the US in March while Dragon Link dates back to around 2017.

Judge Gloria M. Navarro

On September 23, Judge Gloria M. Navarro of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada issued a decision granting Aristocrat's motion for a preliminary injunction on its trade secret claims against L&W. The court enjoined L&W from "any continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train." 

The court's decision finds that Aristocrat is "extremely likely to succeed in demonstrating L&W misappropriated Aristocrat's trade secrets in [L&W's] development of Dragon Train." The court recognized that, by misappropriating trade secrets relating to Aristocrat's market-leading Dragon Link and Lightning Link games, L&W "was able to develop Dragon Train without investing the equivalent time and money."  In granting the preliminary injunction, the court noted "the public interest in protecting trade secrets and preventing competitors from receiving an unfair advantage." 

Matthew Primmer

Matthew Primmer, Chief Product Officer of Aristocrat, said: "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."

However, Aristocrat will not stop here, with the developer set to continue its case and seek all "appropriate remedies to address the harm" caused by L&W’s actions. However, responding to the ruling, L&W said it respectfully disagrees with the decision and will "promptly" file an appeal.

In a statement, L&W said it will continue to "vigorously" defend against Aristocrat claims, including presenting its defenses to a jury at a trial. The group added that Dragon Train is only one franchise within its portfolio and is the result of increased investment in R&D. However, it also noted that it is working on new iterations of Dragon Train consistent with the terms of the ruling.

Dragon Train is estimated to only account for less than 5% of L&W’s full-year 2025 adjusted EBITDA forecast of $1.4 billion. "The company is moving forward on several key initiatives to mitigate the immediate impact and any continuing business disruption from the order," L&W said.

Matt Wilson

Matt Wilson, CEO and President at Light & Wonder also commented on the case. He spoke out in support of the group’s R&D team, hailing its staff as the “best game design talent in the industry”.

"We expect our strong growth trajectory to continue, notwithstanding this decision," Wilson said.