Skillz Inc., represented by the law firm King & Spalding, has initiated legal action against the developers of the “Blitz Win Cash” app, alleging fraudulent practices in their mobile gaming operations. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, asserts that Voodoo SAS and its affiliates, Esport Newco SAS and Esport Newco US Corp.,…
Esports company Skillz Platform has initiated legal proceedings against mobile gaming company Voodoo SAS, operator of the “Blitz Win Cash” app, for alleged fraudulent practices including fixing games and deceiving players through the use of bots. The complaint, lodged by King & Spalding in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York,…
Keywords Studios Plc, notable for its expansive role within the gaming industry, is poised to accept a revised acquisition bid from EQT Group. The updated offer, detailed in a statement released by Keywords Studios on Friday, appraises the company at an approximate value of £2 billion ($2.5 billion). The proposed deal offers investors £24.50 per…
The European Commission has unveiled a new initiative aiming to regulate virtual worlds and Web 4.0, structured around the Digital Decade policy programme objectives. While virtual reality (VR) has been familiar primarily through gaming environments, it has taken on new dimensions with the introduction of the Metaverse. This immersive virtual reality not only offers recreation…
Health-Driven Investors Eye Casino Smoking, Non-Sugar Sweeteners This proxy season, shareholders are placing renewed pressure on companies ranging from Coca-Cola to Caesar’s Entertainment Inc., tackling issues such as indoor smoking in casinos and the potential health risks associated with non-sugar sweeteners in beverages. These shareholder proposals emphasize the importance of policies that protect the health…
The United States government and various states have recently filed an antitrust suit against multinational entertainment corporation, Live Nation Entertainment. Claims are made that they are guilty of monopoly, which affects artists, concert venues and music enthusiasts across their live entertainment sector. According to the lawsuit, Live Nation has breached § 1 and 2 of…
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and DLA Piper are representing the involved parties in what could be a significant acquisition in the gaming industry. Swedish private equity behemoth EQT is reportedly preparing for a £2.2 billion acquisition of London-listed video game service company, Keywords Studios. Acting for EQT, Simpson Thacher’s team is led by corporate partners…
In a recent legal ruling, a jury has found gaming giant Activision liable for $23.4 million for infringements on multiplayer gaming patents held by Acceleration Bay. The two infringements were divided, with one valued at $18 million happening in World of Warcraft, and another totalling $5.4 million occurring in two Call of Duty games. This…
Microsoft Corporation and Activision Blizzard are seeking Chancery approval for their $69 billion merger. This follows the two tech giants’ desire to conclude a parallel case that has been ongoing since November 2022. The case was initiated by an Activision shareholder, the Swedish pension fund Sjunde AP-fonden. This suit is viewed as a significant step…
Anyone who’s gotten a tattoo knows part of the fun is being able to display it off at will. Tattoos are often deeply personal forms of expression, regardless of the teasing you might receive for your choice of design or placement. But a fun twist comes into play when you view the ink from an…
The French supermarket group casino is restructuring its operations and has hired a restructuring lawyer, evidently appointing him as their General Counsel (GC). This move appears to be part of the company’s efforts to rebuild and stabilize its operations amidst challenges. The action taken by the supermarket group aligns with the perspectives of many companies…
DraftKings Inc., on Monday, announced the appointment of Lori Kalani as the company’s first Chief Responsible Gaming Officer. Kalani, a partner at Cozen O’Connor and co-chair of the law firm’s state attorneys general practice, will now focus on implementing consumer safety and protection practices across the gaming platform. Read More A seasoned expert in consumer…
The birth of the internet, sparked by the adoption of the TCP/IP common communications protocol in 1983, created an open, public digital infrastructure with ubiquitous access expectations. In this realm, financial regulators at bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Reserve largely did not view internet protocols as within their…
A former aide to Supreme Court Justices John Roberts Jr. and Brett Kavanaugh, D. Zachary Hudson, has now emerged as one of the highest-paid company lawyers within the United States’ gaming industry. After working with the influential casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson, Hudson’s career trajectory stratospherically soared. Hired as the global general counsel for the Las…
Online gaming and sports betting firm, GAN Ltd., recently made headway in handling claims made by its former chief legal officer involving wrongful termination, whistleblowing allegations, and objections to the hostile work environment. A United States federal court in California has mandated that the dispute between the parties will be settled in arbitration. The former…
In a recent trademark litigation, lottery platforms Jackpot.com and Jackpocket were pitted against each other. A panel comprising of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a district court decision admonishing Jackpocket’s claim against Jackpot.com. The panel unanimously held that the term ‘jackpot’ is generally understood and used within…
Ivana Kovacevic, the group general counsel of Australian gaming, wagering and media company Tabcorp, firmly advocates the benefits of legal tech. One of Kovacevic’s key tips for general counsel keen on garnering support for legal tech in their corporations is the introduction of eSignatures. This simple yet effective tool has brought about significant improvements across…
Ivana Kovacevic, group general counsel for Australian gaming, wagering, and media company Tabcorp, provides some sage advice for fellow general counsels seeking to encourage legal tech adoption within their organizations: start with eSignatures. She points to the benefits of applications like DocuSign, which she says serves the business side of operations by streamlining the signing…
Electronic Arts (EA), a leading company in the gaming industry, recently announced that it will be cutting 5% of its workforce, equating to approximately 670 employees. This decision has been reported as a response to evolving customer demands and a renewed focus by the company. In a memo to the staff, EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson,…
In a recent development that left the legal world abuzz, Epic Games has harshly criticized Apple’s demand for $73.4 million in legal fees. This dispute stemmed from a California federal court’s antitrust battle over the tech giant’s App Store payment fees. Epic Games contends that Apple’s assertions are unsound in several dimensions. Firstly, Epic maintains…
King & Spalding LLP has taken the lead in this week’s edition of Law360’s Legal Lions. This comes after a California federal jury conferred a $42.9 million award to mobile game platform Skillz, in a patent infringement case against its competitor, AviaGames. The decision represents another significant win inked onto the firm’s patent law portfolio….
Fanatics Holdings Inc., a sizable sports apparel and collectibles business, has made a strategic move to enhance its push into sports betting by hiring additional lawyers to fortify its team. The company recently hired Eva Pulliam, a data privacy and regulatory affairs partner at ArentFox Schiff, and Briana Reid, a former lawyer for the National…
The tech industry has commenced the new year with a slew of companies unveiling major job cuts, echoing the start of 2023 which saw the most severe industry contraction in over a decade. Among the companies making reductions are Amazon.com Inc., Unity Software Inc., and Duolingo. Amazon is reportedly laying off hundreds of employees across…
The future of the legal industry is being reshaped by technological innovations normally associated with consumer tech, as evidenced by some of the most pertinent discussions from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). One of the key topics was the topic of Gen Z’s rising influence within the legal sector. According to the CTA Director…
Recently, two identical defamation lawsuits filed by Grover Gaming against employees of a competing firm, Powerhouse Gaming Inc., have been allowed to proceed by a federal judge in Virginia. Grover Gaming, an electronic pull tabs provider licensed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs, alleges that Powerhouse…