Operators offering sports betting and gambling services across the globe have strict rules when it comes to data protection. The access of senior-level employees is monitored while the protection of intellectual property remains an important priority for developers within the gambling sector.

Now, a new report reveals that an Aristocrat employee is facing legal action over allegedly downloading more than 6,800 files from its services. As announced by the Associated Press, Dinh Toan Tran, a game designer with Aristocrat, is in hot water after the leading gaming operator filed a lawsuit, claiming he downloaded thousands of files.

The alleged incident dates back to December. In its lawsuit, the leading pokies developer claims Tran downloaded more than 6,800 files. With the lawsuit, Aristocrat seeks to recover the files.

During a court hearing last week, the company secured a search order from the Federal Court. Consequently, a property where Tran allegedly resided was searched. During the search, electronic devices such as tablets, laptops and external storage devices were seized.

The Court ordered Tran to provide the details needed to log in while at the same time asking him to reveal his whereabouts. Moreover, Tran was ordered not to delete or discard any documents, files or other intellectual property that may belong to the company. Experts are currently analyzing the information uncovered on the devices that were seized during the search that happened at a property located in western Sydney.

Analysis of the Information from the Seized Devices Continues

Ken Brotherson, is the lawyer representing the employee. He confirmed that his client wasn’t present when the search warrants were executed.

Federal Court Justice Yaseen Shariff explained that Aristocrat had a right to determine whether it was wrong or right about its suspicion of the downloaded files. He explained: “It seems to me everything has been done extremely professionally.”

It is yet to be confirmed if Tran indeed obtained any company files. Currently, it remains unclear what the essence of those files might be. Still, John Hennessy SC, Aristocrat’s barrister, informed the court on Thursday that a specific USB storage device is “the focus of the investigation.” Investigation and analysis of the files obtained during the searches continue.

The legal action comes after in December, Aristocrat announced the launch of its 3rd NFL-themed game, Overtime Cash. The launch reaffirmed the company’s successful relationship with the NFL and further expanded the portfolio of games for fans of the sport.

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In a recent development, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee has raised doubts about Crown’s assertion that it cannot afford to pay the AUD450 million ($301 million) fine imposed by AUSTRAC in a single payment. The fine was levied against the casino giant for numerous breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws.

Justice Lee Questions Crown’s Financial Predicament in Landmark Court Proceedings

During the court proceedings, Justice Lee emphasized that the penalty was already at the lower end of what would be considered an appropriate punishment for the company’s “absolutely egregious” misconduct, reported the Australian Financial Review. Crown’s suggestion to pay the fine over a two-year period would reduce its net present value to AUD406 million ($271.6 million) when accounting for interest rates.

Crown’s barrister, Philip Crutchfield, KC, claimed that the company “can’t afford to pay more than we’ve agreed.” However, Justice Lee expressed skepticism about the veracity of Crown’s financial predicament, noting the lack of substantial evidence beyond an affidavit from the company’s CFO, Alan McGregor. Justice Lee further highlighted the absence of cross-examination of McGregor by AUSTRAC, which hindered the verification of Crown’s claims.

Justice Lee emphasized the need for accountability and suggested that the lack of thorough examination of witnesses’ affidavits could undermine the honesty of their statements. He also raised concerns about the penalty’s failure to factor in the historical payment of dividends to Crown shareholders, suggesting that the penalties should be significant enough to discourage similar illegal activities.

In February, Justice Lee also criticized AUSTRAC for taking too long to bring the case against Crown to the court.

Crown’s Contrition Questioned as Justice Lee Weighs Options for Fine Approval

Justice Lee is expected to deliver his final decision on the afternoon of July 11. While he indicated his inclination to approve the fine, he also contemplated the possibility of appointing an independent party to assess Crown’s financial situation. Alternatively, he proposed allowing a payment plan but with provisions for Crown to pay earlier if its financial position improved.

Crown’s contrition was also called into question during the court proceedings. Although the company expressed remorse for its breaches and underwent a complete overhaul of its board and senior management, Justice Lee challenged whether the changes truly reflected a genuine state of contrition. He emphasized that contrition should entail a genuine change of mindset and not merely the replacement of individuals involved in the wrongdoing.

The outcome of this case will have significant implications for Crown and the gambling industry as a whole. At the same time, Australia is poised to implement significant changes to its gambling industry, with proposals for a national gambling regulator and a ban on all forms of gambling advertising.

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The Central London County Court has dismissed the case of a millionaire who claimed that a sportsbook exacerbated his problem gambling and caused him to lose a lot of money. The millionaire’s request to have his money back was turned down.

The man in question is Scott O’Brien, a rich British entrepreneur. In his case, O’Brien described himself as a problem gambler experiencing long-term gambling addiction.

O’Brien Claims Problem Gambling Almost Drove Him to Suicide

O’Brien slammed the sports betting operator Star Sports, which, according to the plaintiff, failed to protect him from his addiction. The millionaire said that the sportsbook staff surely knew that he was a problem gambler. Yet, the operator allowed him to lose thousands of British pounds without intervening.

O’Brien said that he has lost almost $125,000 (converted to USD) to playing with Star Sports, which, he says, is a clear violation of the company’s social responsibility code provisions. The millionaire noted that he doesn’t even like gambling but cannot control his behavior.

The plaintiff added that his problem gambling started in 2012, soon after he sold his paper-recycling business.

O’Brien blamed Gemma Mehmet, a member of the Star Sports staff, for not banning him. The millionaire said that Mehmet knew of his condition but didn’t do anything about it. He had asked the worker to not tell his ex-wife about his condition and had also asked to be banned from gambling.

Continuing with his claims, O’Brien said that he told Ms. Mehmet that he had tried to take his own life because of gambling. Because of that, he was even forced to spend 10 months in rehabilitation.

Star Sports Sees Things Differently

However, Star Sports’ lawyer, Christopher Gillespie paints a different picture of what happened. According to him, O’Brien’s claim that he told Mehmet about his problem is untrue. Furthermore, the company had no reason to suspect O’Brien of being a problem player.

Gillespie said that O’Brien was always dressed well, had a driver and moved in wealthy social circles. According to the lawyer, the plaintiff always portrayed himself as a successful businessman. In addition, the alleged problem gambler could have always used the self-exclusion tools available to him to exclude himself from playing with Star Sports.

The lawyer also noted that O’Brien didn’t seem to be that problematic of a player. He would visit the sportsbook around 17 times in six months, which did not indicate addictive behavior. Last but not least, the plaintiff was actually winning against the bookmaker until his final wager. Gillespie noted that this is somewhat suspicious.

Judge Heather Baucher evaluated both sides’ claims and ruled in favor of Star Sports. She concluded that O’Brien was not, in fact, a problem gambler and lied about telling Mehmet about his condition.

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