Lottery firm: ‘Most-prized’ secrets were taken
Associated Press
ATLANTA
A key executive of a company that works with more than 40 state lotteries in the U.S. orchestrated a “massive theft” of its most-prized secrets before he resigned to accept a position with a rival company, his former employer said in a federal lawsuit.
Scientific Games International Inc. is asking a federal judge to prevent the information from being used outside the company in the multibillion-dollar lottery industry.
The company, with offices in Alpharetta, Ga., filed the civil suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Gainesville, Ga.
The former employee, Brian Keith Cash, downloaded thousands of computer files around the time he accepted a position with International Game Technology at its Lakeland, Fla., office, the lawsuit states.
Cash didn’t return a phone message left Friday.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Scientific Games said playing by the rules and maintaining integrity are core values of the company.
The company states in its lawsuit that Cash transferred at least 40 of its account plans for various state lotteries to external hard drives before he resigned June 10. The company’s clients include 46 U.S. lotteries and more than 60 international lotteries.
“The information contained in Scientific Games’ account plans is a virtual playbook of the company’s business strategy with respect to its existing customers and growing their lottery business,” the lawsuit states.
In the hands of any competitor, the documents “would provide a roadmap for stealing away the company’s existing business” and also sap new business opportunities.