The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a decision in favor of Acres Manufacturing in its dispute with slot and system giant IGT, holding that Acres’ Foundation casino management system does not infringe on IGT patents.
In 2021, IGT asserted that Acres’ new Foundation system infringed on at least four patents out of a pool of over 200 assimilated patents pertaining to cashless wagering. IGT also demanded Acres pay the supplier royalties which would have dramatically increased the price casinos pay for Foundation.
In response, Acres submitted prior art evidence to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and requested a reexamination of the four patents.
The USPTO completed a full review of the four patents and has rejected each claim that IGT asserted against Acres.
“Foundation provides operators with a wide range of new, unprecedented capabilities,” said Acres Manufacturing founder John Acres. “Presuming the findings from the USPTO stand—which I believe is highly probable—all claims of infringement against Foundation will be dismissed and Foundation pricing will not increase, delivering a win for Acres and for our casino customers. In my opinion, these patents should never have been asserted against us.”
