Aristocrat Leisure and Light & Wonder have reached a settlement that ends legal proceedings in Australia and the United States tied to the Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon slot titles. The agreement resolves claims that focused on the alleged use of proprietary Aristocrat game mathematics and copyrighted materials, disputes that had already limited the commercial rollout of the games.
The case stemmed from Aristocrat’s position that Dragon Train, which launched in March 2024, showed similarities to its Dragon Link series, first released in 2017. Aristocrat accused Light & Wonder of misappropriating intellectual property, including math models and gameplay elements, and raised concerns about the role of former executives. A preliminary injunction issued in September 2024 restricted Light & Wonder’s ability to commercialise Dragon Train.
Financial Settlement And Game Withdrawals
As part of the resolution, Light & Wonder will pay Aristocrat USD 127.5 million linked to misappropriation and infringement claims. The company acknowledged that certain Aristocrat math information was used in developing both Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon.
Light & Wonder also agreed to permanently stop all commercial activity involving the two titles worldwide and to make best efforts to remove existing installations. The settlement requires the permanent destruction of documents containing the identified Aristocrat math and bars any future use of that math or related copyrighted works.
Both companies put confidential procedures in place to identify and address any remaining issues involving Aristocrat math within certain Light & Wonder games, including titles already live or still in development. Aristocrat confirmed it will dismiss all outstanding claims in both the US and Australia.
Executive Statements On The Outcome
Aristocrat CEO and Managing Director Trevor Croker said in a joint statement: “Aristocrat welcomes fair competition but will always robustly defend and enforce its intellectual property rights. As an ideas and innovation company our intellectual property is vital to our ongoing success. We are committed to protecting the great work of our dedicated creative and technical teams.”
He added: “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. This decisive action included securing a preliminary injunction in September 2024, at which time the court recognised that Light & Wonder was able to develop Dragon Train by using Aristocrat’s valuable trade secrets and without investing the equivalent time and money.”
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.”
He also stated: “This matter arose when a former employee inappropriately used certain Aristocrat math without our knowledge and in direct violation of our policies. Upon discovery, we took immediate action and have since implemented strengthened processes aimed at preventing similar issues in the future.” Wilson added that the 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.”
The dispute has highlighted a broader rise in intellectual property cases within the gaming industry.
Source:
“Aristocrat and Light & Wonder Settle Dragon Train IP Claims”, news.worldcasinodirectory.com, January 12, 2026
The post Aristocrat and Light & Wonder Close Dragon Train Legal Dispute first appeared on RealMoneyAction.com.