Flutter Appeals $330m Ruling
Flutter, the owner of Georgian online casino Adjarabet, has announced it will make an appeal against a copyright ruling that went against the business.
A major copyright claim against one of the world’s biggest gambling companies is being appealed. © pcdazero, Pixabay
Flutter Appeals $330m Aviator Copyright Ruling
Flutter, the parent company of some of the world’s most famous gambling and betting brands, has confirmed it will be appealing against a copyright claim that was ruled against the firm.
The Georgian online casino Adjarabet, which is one of Flutter’s subsidiary businesses, and the Aviator game producer Spribe, was recently hit by a $330 million trademark and copyright claim.
According to a ruling by Georgia’s Court of First Instance that was announced on August 20, Spribe’s trademark registration of the Aviator name and logo was in bad faith.
It was ruled that the Aviator name and logo was already trademarked by Aviator LLC, with Mikadze Gegetchkori Taktakishvili LLC – Aviator LLC’s representative law firm – and its managing partner Nikoloz Gogilidze welcoming the decision.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the court’s ruling on this claim and we will continue to aggressively protect our client’s intellectual property from unlicensed use on any international gaming platforms. ”– statement released by the law firm on behalf of Aviator LLC
Flutter’s Next Move
With Flutter told to pay its part of a massive $330 million fine as a result of losing the case, the company quickly confirmed it will be making an appeal against the ruling.
Flutter says that the Aviator crash game at the centre of the copyright claim only generated in the region of $7.5 million in revenue last year for the company in Georgia.
As such, the company is arguing that the $330 million fine it has been ordered to pay as a result of the ruling is too much.
“The level of damages sought is egregious in nature and bears no resemblance to the actual economics of the property under debate. ”– statement released by Flutter
However, Flutter’s last full-year financial results showed it recorded a high level of revenue growth for 2023, with an increase of nearly 25% year on year to $11.79 billion.
Spribe’s Aviator game has been certified in more than 40 jurisdictions around the world and the producer has a player base in excess of 35 million across some 4,500 brands.
What Happens Next?
So far, it is unclear how much of the $330 million fine should be paid by Spribe and how much of it will have to be stumped up by Flutter.
In a post on the LinkedIn social network, Spribe laid out its position on the copyright claim case.
“[Spribe] is the creator and proud owner of the Aviator game globally, with the IP (copyright, trademark) protected worldwide and owned exclusively by us.”– Spribe
As the initial trademark and copyright claim appeal was only made in Georgia, it appears that other Flutter companies operating in other parts of the world will not be affected if they also host the Aviator game.
Some of the most popular Flutter betting brands include:
- Paddy Power
- SkyBet
- Fanduel
- PokerStars
- Tombola
The final ruling of the Aviator copyright claim could have a significant impact on global game producers, online casinos and betting brands, so all eyes will be on what happens next.
