Scientific Games ordered to pay $315M in antitrust case
Executives with Las Vegas-based casino equipment manufacturer Scientific Games are expected to challenge a $315 million jury award reached against the company.
Scientific said Tuesday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that “the company believes the jury reached the wrong result and will seek review of both the finding of liability and the damages award, both before the trial court and, if necessary, on appeal.”
The company was ordered to pay $105 million to four companies after a federal jury in Chicago concluded that patents on automatic card shuffling machines in litigation filed by Scientific were invalid and that the company was attempting to keep rival companies out of the market in violation of antitrust laws.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly of the Northern District of Illinois had authority to triple the damages and did. The company also was ordered to pay attorney fees and costs. Scientific has until Sept. 5 to file any post-trial motions.
The court order says Scientific, doing business as Shuffle Master, SHFL Entertainment and Bally Gaming — all companies Scientific has absorbed in acquisitions — must pay Shuffle Tech International LLC $135 million, Poydras-Talrick Holdings LLC $75 million, Aces Up Gaming $45 million, and Shuffle Tech as an assignee of DigiDeal Corp $60 million.
In Scientific’s SEC filing, the company said in October 2015, the district court dismissed all the plaintiff’s claims with prejudice except for claims involved with antitrust laws related to fraudulent procurement of patents on card shufflers.
The jury trial began July 16 and concluded Tuesday.
Since Tuesday, Scientific Games’ stock, traded on the Nasdaq market, has fallen 5.5 percent to $33.40 a share at Wednesday’s close.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
