Las Vegas-based gambling game maker Light & Wonder has removed its Dragon Train slot game from the market in North America.
The move comes after last week’s damning U.S. District Court verdict against the company and the game, concluding a lawsuit from rival Australian casino game developer Aristocrat.
Aristocrat contended that Dragon Train was an almost direct copy of its popular jackpot slot game, Dragon Link. Judge Gloria Navarro agreed, and ordered Light & Wonder to cease commercial activity related to Dragon Train in Nevada.
The lead designer of Dragon Train was also fired. Their contract was terminated over the weekend.
Light & Wonder broke the news of the full withdrawal of the game from North American markets via a video from CEO Matt Wilson on its investor relations page.
“We’re working very diligently with our customers to convert those games out, in compliance with the judge’s order,” he said.
“We’re working hard to install these new games as quickly as possible, so that Dragon Train is taken out of the fleet. That’s our immediate priority.”
The Withdrawal
Wilson said that while the withdrawal of Dragon Train was a priority, it only represented a small percentage of the slot units Light & Wonder operates in North America.
“We have approximately 33,000 lease units installed in the market. Dragon Train represented a mid single digit percentage of that install base, or roughly 2200 units.”
Based on those figures, that mid single digit number would be 6.67% percent. Wilson, presumably trying to calm investor confidence, mentioned several times Light & Wonder’s collection of other popular games which it would be rolling out to replace the Dragon Train machines.
He also added that the company is already developing Dragon Train 2.0, with a new development team at the helm.
The Lawsuit
Australian-based Aristocrat is one of the biggest slot makers in the world. Its Dragon Link slot has become a staple at U.S. casinos since launching in 2017. Aristocrat recently opened a large new manufacturing facility in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson.
In 2024, one high roller went on a massive jackpot winning spree exclusively on Dragon Link machines at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, it sued Light & Wonder for copying the game with its release of Dragon Train.
A U.S. District Court judge agreed with that perspective after several months of legal back and forth. There were various similarities noted between the games by the judge. Wilson said the new game would keep what the company thought was good while fixing the issues brought up in the lawsuit.
Light & Wonder previously said it would appeal the verdict. But it appears it is no longer following that course.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
