Judge Dismisses Ex-Light & Wonder Exec’s Whistleblower Case

A federal judge in Michigan has ruled to dismiss key parts of a lawsuit brought by former Light & Wonder executive Michael Amormino, arguing that the complaint lacked sufficient evidence to proceed under state whistleblower or public policy protections.

Legally Deficient Claims 

Amormino, who served as head of casino studio for North America beginning in May 2022, alleged that in July 2024, company vice president of operations Dror Damchinsky put pressure on him to falsify financial documents. 

The former executive claims he refused the proposal because he believed it would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which includes protections for employees against retaliation. Later on, he reported his concerns internally and also filed a complaint with federal workplace safety regulators.

When the suit was officially filed, a spokesperson announced the company would dispute the allegations and “actively” defend itself using the standard legal procedures.

In his ruling, Judge Jonathan Grey of the Eastern District of Michigan deemed Amormino’s claims were legally deficient. Regarding the whistleblower claim, the court noted that there was no evidence to suggest the Las Vegas-based global games and content company was aware of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaint prior to firing him. 

Amormino was placed on leave the same day he filed with OSHA and was terminated four days later. However, Judge Grey ruled that the timing alone could not be used to prove the company knew of his report, nor did it establish the causal link between his actions and his dismissal.

Three Weeks to File Amended Complaint

The Michigan court also established that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act barred the public policy claim on its own, with Judge Grey emphasizing that the statute provides protections similar to those offered by other workplace safety regulations. This includes the right to sue in federal court if regulators do not act within 180 days.

The court further weighed whether OSHA qualifies as a “law enforcement agency” under Michigan’s Whistleblower Protection Act. Judge Grey concluded that it does, given OSHA’s investigative and enforcement authority.

Claims against Light & Wonder’s parent company were dismissed as well. The court said Amormino had not provided enough detail to show the parent entities functioned as joint employers or had sufficient control over his job.The whistleblower portion of the case was dismissed without prejudice, leaving Amormino 21 days to file an amended complaint. If he does not, the dismissal could become final, closing the case entirely.