Former Light & Wonder Employee Accuses Company of Forcing Him to Falsify Financial Reports
A former employee of Light & Wonder, Antonio Amormino, has accused the company of pressuring him to falsify financial reports and unlawfully terminating him after he refused and reported the issue to relevant authorities.
Allegations of Encouraging Financial Misconduct
Antonio Amormino claims that Dror Damchinsky, the company’s Vice President of Operations, asked him to alter the company’s budget tracking file to present a misleadingly positive picture of Light & Wonder’s financial health.
Amormino alleges that he refused, citing violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which mandates transparency in public companies and aims to prevent financial fraud.
After Damchinsky allegedly threatened to find someone else to do the task, Amormino reported his concerns to Vickie Huber, Head of Accounting, and Melissa Sly, Office Manager. Sly filed a complaint with the Human Resources department, but Amormino claims the company’s investigators ignored his concerns.
On August 12, 2024, Amormino filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and was terminated four days later.
In a lawsuit filed in the Oakland County Circuit Court in Michigan, Amormino alleges his dismissal was retaliatory and violated Michigan’s Whistleblower Protection Act. He is seeking damages for emotional distress, economic loss, and reputational harm.
Light & Wonder Denies Allegations
Light & Wonder denies the accusations, stating that Amormino failed to provide evidence to substantiate his claims. The company also contends it was unaware of Amormino’s OSHA complaint until two days after his termination and argues that OSHA complaints are not covered under Michigan’s whistleblower legislation.
The case has been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Light & Wonder has filed a motion to dismiss the case and to nullify Amormino’s request for a jury trial, arguing that he waived that right when signing his employment agreement.
This isn’t the only legal challenge facing Light & Wonder. Recently, the company was accused of failing to comply with a court order in its legal battle with Aristocrat.
The court had mandated that Light & Wonder cease commercializing its game “Dragon Train,” which Aristocrat claims is strikingly similar to its own game, “Dragon Link.” Aristocrat also alleges that Light & Wonder’s hiring of a former Aristocrat employee is further evidence of trade secret violations and intellectual property theft.
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