Skillz Challenges Voodoo in Court, Claims Rival Uses Bots

The leading mobile games platform that promises fun, fair and meaningful competition, Skillz, filed a new lawsuit against one of its rivals. On Monday, the company filed a legal claim with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against one of its competitors, Voodoo.

Skillz is a company that allows players to compete against each other in games that require skill. Those players compete for monetary prizes.

In its lawsuit, Skillz alleged that its rival claims to offer “skill-based” and “fair” games when in reality, it puts its players against computer bots. This allegedly helps Voodoo maximize their revenue while leaving a tiny chance for the players to win actual prizes.

Skillz’s lawsuit claims that Voodoo turned the legal games of skill into illegal gambling games. Moreover, the company alleged that its competitor offers games where real human players can hardly impact the outcome of any game.

“Voodoo’s use of algorithms to determine the outcome of its tournaments turns what might be otherwise legal games of human skill into illegal games of chance or gambling in which Voodoo’s participants have little to no influence on the outcome of any game,“

reads the lawsuit filed by Skillz

Not the First Lawsuit Filed by Skillz

The latest legal claim isn’t the first one filed by Skillz against a competitor. The company previously alleged a patent infringement. It filed legal action against AviaGames.

Similarly to the most recent lawsuit, Skillz alleged that AviaGames used computer bots that enabled it to have control over the outcome of any game. In the end, Skillz won the lawsuit and was awarded a sum close to $43 million.

Despite the win, AviaGames remains subject to a class-action lawsuit filed by gamblers who lost their money. Their primary issue was that they played against bots but were made to believe they played against humans.

“By deploying bots or algorithms to determine how much players win when their money is on the line, Voodoo can generate revenue for itself with each game played,“

wrote Skillz in its lawsuit

In the most recent legal battle, Skillz alleged that the use of bots by Voodoo enabled the company to generate profits from each game.

The gaming company also claimed that its rival damaged its reputation, profits, revenue as well as market share.

This is because it allegedly falsely advertised skill games, which is the type of games Skillz specializes in.