If you’ve probably seen, if there’s anything the manufacturing sector of the gaming industry likes to do better than make new slot games is to sue one another for patent infringement. The fun may be coming to an end. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) has introduced legislation intended to deter patent litigation. It already enjoys the endorsement of American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman (left), who’s clearly going to be a more high-profile figure than was Frank Fahrenkopf. What’s in the bill? Losing litigants would have to pay court costs — a big deterrent right there. Vendors could also take on the defense of third-party customers who get sued for using Brand X. So-called “low quality patents” would be nixed, broadening rules already applied to the financial-services industry, and all the parties standing to benefit from a patent would have to be disclosed. Google and Yahoo are in favor of the bill but Microsoft and Apple are against it. It will interesting to see where gaming’s tech players fall in line.
The Menominee Tribe keeps trying for that casino compact in Wisconsin and its promises are getting richer and richer. Now it would pay the state 7.5% of gross revenue, so that the Potowatomi and Ho-Chunk tribes could pay less — and offset revenue declines suffered by 0ther tribes. That could get pretty expensive. In return for a Dairyland casino, they’re offering to close a small bingo hall and call that “no net increase” in Dairy State gaming. I don’t think Gov. Scott Walker (R) will be that easily fooled, nor by the argument that the Ho-Chunk and Potowatomi signed their consent away years ago, when they made compacts with the state. But you’ve got to give the tribe credit for incredible persistence. If it were up to me, I’d give them the casino. But I’m not Walker and the Menominee have not met his criteria.
Suffolk Downs is now being blamed by Caesars Entertainment for the collapse of their partnership, with Caesars saying it was Suffolk who pushed them from the nest. This comes as the redacted Massachusetts Gaming Commission report is released. Warning: It’s over 550 pages long … The form casino gambling would have in Japan is beginning to take shape. All this talk is good news for companies that likely would be joint-venture partners, with the likes of Sega Sammy Holdings and Konami seeing upward movement in their stocks … Hasten slowly. That’s the message from Nevada casino regulators to the online gaming industry. It’s not clear if Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett is feeling pressure but the onus is really on the industry at the moment. Only UltimatePoker.com and WSOP.com are operational, and the Control Board doesn’t have much data on how they’re performing. Wider forms of Internet gambling will come to the Silver State, don’t worry.
