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Read Full BioLight & Wonder (L&W) has agreed to pay fellow gaming developer Aristocrat $127.5 million to settle a dispute between the two companies. The company admitted to using Aristocrat’s math information in its games Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon.
As part of the settlement, L&W also agreed not to use the games or the math used to develop them. A joint statement added, “Light & Wonder has agreed not to make any further use of the Aristocrat math information and copyright works at issue in the litigation, and to permanently destroy all documents reflecting that information.”
Light & Wonder CEO Matt Wilson said, “Light & Wonder is pleased to resolve this matter and move forward. We are firmly committed to doing business the right way – respecting our competitors’ intellectual property rights while protecting our own rights.”
Wilson added, “This settlement protects the interests of our customers, employees, and shareholders, and allows us to continue our focus on developing and delivering the market-leading content our customers expect—without distraction or disruption.”
Aristocrat CEO & Managing Director Trevor Croker said, “We welcome this positive outcome, which includes significant financial compensation and follows the decisive action we took to ensure the preservation of Aristocrat’s valuable intellectual property assets.”
What Was the Dispute?
Wilson gave some background to the case in his statement, commenting, “This matter arose when a former employee inappropriately used certain Aristocrat math without our knowledge and in direct violation of our policies.“
That employee was Emma Charles, who switched from working at Aristocrat to L&W. When changing companies, she allegedly took with her secret files that contained math algorithms. This math was then used by L&W to develop several games that Aristocrat claims copied their game, Dragon Link.
Wilson claimed the company did not do this knowingly, placing the blame on Charles’s rogue actions. He added, “Upon discovery, we took immediate action and have since implemented strengthened processes aimed at preventing similar issues in the future.”
Aristocrat first raised the issue in 2024, filing a lawsuit against LNW. Charles was let go from her position shortly after. However, the company did not withdraw the disputed games from slot machines until April last year and fought the claims brought by Aristocrat.
LNW Avoids Release of Internal Documents With Settlement
L&W continued to fight the case in courts in both Nevada and Australia, with the companies exchanging legal arguments since the lawsuit was filed in June 2024. Cases in both countries have now been dismissed.
Last month, L&W filed a formal objection to a ruling in Nevada that would have required the company to disclose internal information to Aristocrat.
The company stated that the court order would have permitted Aristocrat to obtain privileged internal materials from several games, not just those involved in the dispute.
It appears that rather than handing over those materials, L&W decided to settle the dispute. In their joint statement, the companies stressed that protecting company information is a high priority.
The statement read, “Both parties agree that maintaining protection of these valuable proprietary assets, and respecting intellectual property rights, is critical to ensure fair competition among all participants in the gaming industry.”
