Aristocrat extends case, L&W removes Jewel of the Dragon game
In an update on the case published today (3 April), L&W stated Aristocrat Technologies has filed a second amended complaint against it in Nevada. The complaint now includes a trade secret misappropriation claim against Jewel of the Dragon. That game was first mentioned in Aristocrat Technologies’ complaint in June 2024, arguing it had created the game before L&W.
L&W has said it has made the decision to “voluntarily” stop commercialising and replace Jewel of the Dragon games. It said an internal review found “historical Aristocrat PAR sheets” in use. PAR sheets describe the performance characteristics and settings of a slot machine, as well as odds and payout structures.
Last year, a Nevada judge ordered L&W to stop providing its Dragon Train game following an Aristocrat Technologies complaint. Aristocrat Technologies launched its Dragon Link in 2017, while L&W launched Dragon Train in the US in March 2024.
Aristocrat Technologies has argued L&W’s Dragon Train game has a number of similarities to its Dragon Link series. The operators filed a case against L&W in February last year, accusing it of copying its game mechanics and misappropriating its intellectual property.
Additionally, Aristocrat Technologies has said several of its former executives who moved to L&W were involved in the development of its alleged copy.
L&W takes action to mitigate
L&W said it has complied with the Nevada judge’s order and converted 95% of its 2,200 units of Dragon Train games. It also stated an internal review discovered that the game’s designer, Emma Charles, had “breached her employment obligations” and was subsequently fired.
In its latest update, L&W said Aristocrat Technologies had referenced an unreleased game in its amended complaint. L&W said an internal review of that game found an early version of its math model “potentially presented issues” relating to Aristocrat Technologies.
“While these issues had been removed in later versions, we took a conservative position and acted promptly prior to this amended complaint to stop further development of the game and will not be releasing it,” L&W stated.
Aristocrat Technologies has also amended its complaint to claim L&W’s replacement games for Dragon Train, such as Dragon Train Grand Central, would benefit from trade secret misappropriation even if it was not involved in the game design.
L&W said “Aristocrat has made no claim with respect to the Dragon Train Grand Central math, and we are confident the same will be true for our Dragon Train replacement land-based game that is in development.”
Industry analysts at MacQuarie commented on the case on 28 March, saying: “We think the main takeaway is that L&W’s exposure with Jewel of the Dragon should be significantly lower than with Dragon Train. As it stands, our view is that this development does not derail L&W’s path to reaching its $1.4bn 2025 EBITDA target.”