Judge Rules Light & Wonder Broke Baccarat Game Agreement

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On January 17, District Court Judge Joanna Kishner approved a partial summary judgment against L&W Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of Light & Wonder. While the case remains active, attorneys are now conducting depositions of officials in British Columbia as part of ongoing proceedings.

Light & Wonder Breached Distribution Agreement
Judge Kishner concluded that Light & Wonder violated a strategic alliance distribution agreement with The Talisman Group, a small Las Vegas company known for creating EZ Baccarat. On August 4, 2023, Light & Wonder began marketing and accepting pre-orders for Ruyi Baccarat, though the company’s agreement with Talisman was not set to expire until September 8, 2023.

Joshua Gilmore, an attorney with the Las Vegas firm Bailey-Kennedy LLP, who is representing Talisman, said:

“Talisman is a two-person gaming company going up against one of the largest gaming companies in the world. We are extremely pleased that the court has ruled in our client’s favor on this important issue.”

Light & Wonder, which currently markets Ruyi Baccarat through a partnership with BCLC, has argued that the contract with Talisman lacked clarity regarding whether an online baccarat version of the game, rather than a traditional live version, could be marketed and sold. The company also argued that the agreement did not clearly define which North American markets it applied to.

Talisman Flourishing Despite Small Size
Founded in 1997 by Robin Powell and Francisco “TJ” Tejeda, Talisman is a consulting firm focused on the gaming sector. Its EZ Baccarat game is now distributed in North America by Las Vegas-based Galaxy Gaming Inc.

On February 25, the company reported strong financial results, with double-digit gains in gaming revenue and earnings for both the fourth quarter and the full year of 2024. Industry analysts have continued to view the company’s performance positively.

This legal dispute is the second courtroom issue for Light & Wonder in the past year. In September, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro ordered the company to remove 2,200 Dragon Train-themed slot machines from casino floors across North America. The ruling came after Australia-based Aristocrat Technologies claimed the machines were knock-offs of its popular Dragon Link and Lightning Link titles.

Light & Wonder complied with that order and replaced the removed games with others from its own lineup.

About Ruyi Baccarat
Ruyi Baccarat follows the main rules of traditional baccarat but eliminates the standard 5% commission typically charged on winning Banker bets. The gameplay remains unchanged except in one situation: when the Banker wins with a total of 7 points using three cards, the hand is treated as a push. This exception does not alter the normal card-drawing rules of the game.

In addition, the game features several side bets, which give players many more chances to win with each hand:

Jade 8 – This optional side bet pays 25 to 1 when the Player wins with a three-card total of 8, known as “Jade 8”. The main Player bet pays even money, and all other bets lose.
Gold 7 – Gold 7 occurs when the Banker wins with a three-card total of 7. The bet pays 40 to 1. The main Banker bet results in a push, and all other bets lose.
Ruby 9 – Ruby 9 awards payouts when either the Player or Banker ends with a three-card total of 9. A payout of 10 to 1 is awarded when one side achieves it, while a payout of 75 to 1 is awarded if both sides have a three-card 9.

There is also a Midi-Ruyi Baccarat game that has the same rules as Ruyi Baccarat, except that the players who place the largest Player and Banker bets have the option to touch or hold the hand that they bet on. Players can squeeze or fold the cards, but they may not crumple or rip the cards.

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