“Dragon Train” is a well-known slot machine game developed by Light & Wonder (L&W). In 2024, the major gaming firm Aristocrat Technologies filed a lawsuit against L&W and claimed it was the case that Dragon Train copies key parts of Aristocrat’s “Dragon Link” slot games and not only superficially, but also down to game mechanics, trade secrets visuals, and so on. The result? A high-risk legal battle over intellectual property that has real-world consequences: the removal of games, replacement machines and a huge reputational risk.

Who Are the Players?

• Aristocrat Technologies: A major player in the casino world of slot machines, originally Australian and with extensive intellectual property on “dragon-themed” games like Dragon Link.
• Light & Wonder (L&W): A U.S.-based (Las Vegas region) gaming firm that produces slot machines such as Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon.

What Aristocrat Is Alleging (Their Claims)

In the 2024 complaint it filed with the U.S. District Court in Nevada, Aristocrat stated:

• L&W took advantage of the company’s business secrets particularly the mathematical models as well as internal documents that drove the Aristocrat’s Dragon Link.
• It is alleged that L&W’s Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon games violate Aristocrat’s copyright and trade dress (the appearance and feel of the game’s look and feel).
• There is in fact unfair trade practices and fraudulent trade practices in the process.
• The lawsuit identifies several previous Aristocrat staffers (including the designers) currently working for L&W who claim to have gained inside information about.

Court Rulings So Far & Key Developments

1. Preliminary Injunction (U.S.)
   • On September 23rd 2024 On September 23, 2024, the Nevada judge issued an preliminari injunction for Aristocrat.
   • This implies that L&W was directed to stop any further leasing, sales, as well as distribution for the Dragon Train game in the U.S. under the court’s decision.
   • The result was that L&W accepted the offer and began converting or eliminating the existing Dragon Train units.
2. Motion to Dismiss
   • L&W submitted a motion to defy some of the claims made by Aristocrat. According to the filings of its own some of the allegations were granted while others were rejected to the courts.
   • According to the L&W’s statement They strongly deny the claims of misappropriation and plan to continue to defend.
3. Jewel of the Dragon
   • Then, in March of 2025 Aristocrat modified its complaints to include trade secret allegations especially against L&W’s Jewel of the Dragon game.
   • After the announcement, Light & Wonder said it will be voluntarily stopping marketing its Jewel of the Dragon slot and begin work on a replacement.
4. International Angle — Australia
   • Aristocrat tried to stop Dragon Train in Australia. In February 2025, Aristocrat was denied an injunction by the Federal Court of Australia declined an injunction application.
   • This means that, at present, Dragon Train remains legally legal to be used to operate on Australian floor of casinos.

Why This Lawsuit Matters — Big Picture Implications

• Intellectual property in Gaming It’s an important issue in the world of slot machines. Pay tables, game math as well as bonus mechanics are all closely protected. If L&W discovers that it employed Aristocrat’s secret math this could be an important victory for IP security when it comes to gaming.
• Risks For Slot Developers For the upcoming or lesser-known slot developers it’s a cautionary tale: the lure of talent and creating “similar” games can lead to legal issues.
• Casino Owners Casinos that been equipped with Dragon Train machines are directly affected. In the wake of the ruling that was issued, the machines needed to be taken down or replaced, which is operationally disruptive.
• Players Impact If specific games are removed or substituted, users playing Dragon Train may see it disappear or be replaced by the “cleaner” version.
• Corporate Reputation Light and Wonder’s brand’s reputation is at risk. Although it is defending its position strongly this lawsuit, it’s possible that it will affect the trust of customers, partnerships and even future games.
• The precedent If Aristocrat is successful, it may create a precedent for copy-style machine games (even that are made by employees who have left) could constitute IP theft. It could deter competitiveness or prompt more cautious innovating.

What Light & Wonder Is Saying

• L&W is adamantly against any that they committed any wrongdoing. They claim that the claims of Aristocrat are overblown and the creation of Dragon Train was independent.
• According to L&W the company has instituted internal tests to make sure that the games they are replacing (for instance, a version of the Dragon Train version and other games) are not rely on Aristocrat’s alleged trade secrets.
• They also said that when making replacements, they used an approach to look over the game’s math and design to make sure they didn’t infringe on the claims of secrets.

Possible Outcomes & What to Watch Next

Here are a few ways this lawsuit might play out:

• Settlement: L&W and Aristocrat could come to a settlement: L&W could pay damages and/or alter the games or even license certain mechanisms.
• Trial If it goes through the trial is complete, it could be used to determine the extent of trade secret theft, determine damages, and then issue a permanent injunction.
• Replaces Games: L&W is currently working on replacing Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon possibly with games that do not use the same design or math that is disputed.
• Appeal: Any party can appeal an injunction or dismissal rulings.
• Industry Ripple Effects Other developers of slot games will be keeping an eye on the situationand the outcome could affect the extent to which game mechanics can be replicated as well as “inspired” by others.

Bottom Line — What This Means for You

• If you’re a operator of a casino the situation could be grave: machines that are removed have an impact on revenue, and the newly released versions may require an investment.
• If you’re an HTML0 slot game creator This is a reminder to ensure that the IP strategy is sound particularly when you hire from rivals or building on “similar” game ideas.
• If you are playing slot machines at casinos You may notice Dragon Train vanish or change. It could be an opportunity to play an earlier version “old” version while it’s in existence, or take advantage of the new version as it comes out.
• If you’re a shareholder in a gaming company This case is worth watching as it could impact the future releases of L&W Legal risk, as well as the overall bottom line.