LV firm wins suit against rival

Friday, Aug. 25, 2000 | 11:19 a.m.

Home Gambling Network Inc. of Las Vegas won a lawsuit to enforce its patented method for live remote wagering against two Roswell, Ga.-based Internet gaming operators.

Home Gambling filed a lawsuit in 1998 against Interactive Television Services Inc. and its subsidiary Internet Gaming Inc., alleging they infringed on Home Gambling's patent when they offered a similar method of participating in a live casino game from a remote location on their websites "casino-tv.com" and "gameclub.com."

The suit alleged Interactive Television also sold Home Gambling's patented method at Nevada's 1998 World Gaming Conference.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Dawson signed an order last week requiring the defendants -- which had denied Home Gambling's claims and had said its patent was invalid -- to acknowledge the validity of Home Gambling's patent.

"This operator openly infringed on HGN's patent by advertising an infringing method for sale," said Mel Molnick, Home Gambling's president. "The outcome of the litigation supports the integrity of the patent and puts the world on notice that our patent is protected by law. If operators want to use our method of wagering, they must license it from us."

Home Gambling also won an order in February to stop Caribbean gaming operator First Live Casino from offering live remote wagering on its websites.