Texan Judge Dismissed Sightline’s Claims against Everi

A Texan judge has dismissed several of Sightline Payments’ claims against Everi Holdings. The two companies have had a legal quarrel since September last year.

Sightline Claims Everi Infringed Its Copyright

Sightline Payments is a payment solutions provider that had accused Everi Holdings, a slot machine and financial equipment provider, of infringing Sightline’s patents. The patents concern cashless gaming solutions that allow bettors to play without the use of traditional currency.

According to Sightline, Everi directly copied some of its models. In its lawsuit filing, the former company claims that its competitor’s CashClub Wallet system infringes at least five of its patents.

The legal dispute comes amid an unprecedented growth of interest in cashless gaming. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the industry to adapt. Because of this, many companies opted to introduced an alternative to physical cash and reduce the chances of transmitting the virus. However, even after the pandemic has subsided, operators are still looking to introduce cashless solutions because of the flexibility such payment methods provide.

Sightline Payments and Everi Holdings are two companies that sought to capitalize on the growing interest in cashless gaming by introducing their proprietary cashless tools.

Sightline Picked the Wrong Battleground

Nine months later, there is finally a development on the lawsuit. On June 1, Judge Albright granted a motion to dismiss some of Sightline’s claims against its competitor. The authority cited the use of an improper venue as the reason behind his decision.

What the judge refers to is the fact that Sightline picked the wrong venue for the lawsuit. According to the law, parties should address patent copyright infringement in a judicial district in a state where both companies run a business. However, Sightline filed the lawsuit in Texas. For reference, neither company is based in the state. In addition, the problematic Everi products are neither produced nor sold in the Lone Star State.

In the end, the judge said that Sightline failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.

A Streamer Appeals to Texan Gov to Label Microtransactions as Gambling

Speaking of Texas, the state might become the stage of another legal battle. Zack “Asmongold,” a prominent video game streamer, recently announced that he plans to appeal to Senator Ted Cruz to label microtransactions as gambling.

Microtransactions are a form of paid content in video gaming. They may or may not provide players with an unfair advantage over free-to-play gamers. Asmongold is adamant that paid game mechanics such as loot boxes harm kids and “indoctrinate them” into gambling.