A request from Aristocrat for an interlocutory injunction in a case with Light & Wonder was rejected by the Federal Court of Australia.
As a result of the decision, Light & Wonder’s Dragon Train slot machines will continue to be utilised across Australia despite efforts for them to be removed from circulation.
Reasons for the Australian court’s decision were not made available or published.
This decision differs from that taken in Nevada in September last year, which saw the granting of an injunction and the subsequent order for Light & Wonder to remove the gaming machines in question.
Although the case in Nevada is still pending a final ruling, a motion to dismiss the case by Light & Wonder was denied – meaning the case will proceed.
The decision at the time was celebrated by Aristocrat, who described it as “underscoring the value of intellectual property”, but the case is still up in the air with charges yet to be determined or ruled upon.
Light & Wonder President and CEO Matt Wilson previously detailed that the firm is closing in on the creation of Dragon Train 2.0 machines.
He stated: “Our intention is to build out Dragon Train 2.0 in compliance with the order and we’re working actively on this right now. It’s a very high priority for us and we’re working quickly to get that out.
“When you think about what’s in question here in this order, it’s really a small portion of the overall game that is Dragon Train, it’s just certain aspects of the maths that are being challenged.
“There are a lot of elements in this game that have made it successful. There’s the Dragon Train secondary Hold and Respin feature, the art, the sounds, the animation and the brand. These things are not affected by the order.”
