Evolution Ramps Up Patent Fight Against Light & Wonder
Evolution’s back in the ring, swinging harder at Light & Wonder with a beefed-up lawsuit filed in Nevada District Court.
A Revived Court Battle
After their first patent infringement case got tossed in February, the live casino giant’s not backing down, now targeting Light & Wonder’s new game, 88 Fortunes Blaze Live Roulette, alongside Roulette X. Evolution’s banking on fresh patents to flip the script.
The move comes after Judge Cristina Silva gave them a shot to amend their complaint, though she wasn’t sold on their odds.
Evolution claimed Light & Wonder’s Roulette X ripped off their blockbuster Lightning Roulette, leaning on “Haushalter patents” for live-streamed games with random multipliers.
Silva axed the case, saying those patents were too vague to pass the Alice test, a legal yardstick for patent validity. Now, Evolution’s added 88 Fortunes, launched January 2025, to the hit list, alleging it copies Lightning’s mix of physical wheels and digital “lucky numbers” with boosted payouts.
They’re also tossing in “Merati patents” from their July 2024 Uplay1 buyout, covering hybrid gaming servers.
New Fuel for the Fire
Evolution’s amended suit, filed after spotting 88 Fortunes at October 2024’s G2E Expo, accuses Light & Wonder of mimicking Lightning Roulette’s core mechanics. Evolution’s lawyers claim both Haushalter’s and Merati’s patents are violated.
They’re pushing for a court order to yank Light & Wonder’s games, plus triple damages and profits from the alleged knockoffs.
Light & Wonder’s in a tough spot. Already ditching its live dealer unit, where 88 Fortunes debuted, the company’s dodging comments on the suit, sticking to a “no litigation talk” policy.
Evolution’s timing stings, as Light & Wonder pivots to slots and platforms, with $3.19 billion in 2024 revenue at risk if courts side against them.
The new patents could shift the game, Merati’s tech focus might dodge Silva’s “too abstract” ruling, but it’s a long shot.
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