Omni-channel online casino and sportsbetting technologies developer SBTech Malta Limited has reportedly filed a lawsuit in Oregon in order to keep the details of its contract with the western American state’s lottery from being divulged.

According to a report from The Oregonian newspaper, the Malta-licensed innovator inked a multi-year deal with the Oregon State Lottery in June before helping the operator to premiere its mobile-friendly Scoreboard sportsbetting service some four months later. This Android and iOS-accessible advance purportedly allows punters anywhere in ‘The Beaver State’ to place wagers on a wide range of sports and is soon due to be complemented via the debut of a selection of self-service betting kiosks.

Lackluster response:

Interested to discover just how much this new sportsbetting alliance was worth and The Oregonian reported that it had joined with Legal Sports Report so as to file an official request to see the lottery’s contract with SBTech Malta Limited. The newspaper detailed that the Oregon State Lottery subsequently provided both publications with ‘a heavily redacted copy’ of the deal that had omitted any information regarding how much the innovator was being paid to help launch and run the Scoreboard service.

Further fight:

Not happy with what they had been provided and The Oregonian and Legal Sports Report reportedly persisted and were eventually granted an order by the office of Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum that compelled the Oregon State Lottery to hand over the complete details of its arrangement with SBTech Malta Limited.

Determined defiance:

However, SBTech Malta reportedly reacted by getting the Marion County Circuit Court to grant a temporary restraining order that prohibited the details of its contract with the Oregon State Lottery from being released. The company purportedly proclaimed that making the particulars of its deal in Oregon public would reveal ‘confidential and proprietary trade secrets and pricing systems’ and result in ‘irreparable harm’ to its business.

Legal wrangle:

The Oregonian reported that the developer subsequently followed up by filing a January 10 lawsuit with the same court in which both the newspaper and Legal Sports Report as well as Rosenblum, the Oregon Department of Justice, the Oregon State Lottery and this agency’s Director, Barry Pack, were named as defendants. The publication explained that this action is seeking to get Marion County Circuit Court Judge David Leith to extend the previously-granted temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction.

Peculiar predicament:

Matt Shelby, a spokesperson for the Oregon State Lottery, reportedly told the newspaper that it felt ‘weird’ for his agency to be sued by one of its most important clients but that the organization is bound by confidentiality clauses that were inserted into the agreement with SBTech Malta Limited.

Shelby reportedly proclaimed…

“SBTech Malta Limited is a private company in a really competitive environment.”

Coming combination:

The Oregonian used its Tuesday report to suggest that the lawsuit from SBTech Malta Limited could be an attempt to keep the details of its arrangement with the Oregon State Lottery from being made public in the run-up to its planned merger with daily fantasy sports and sportsbook giant DraftKings Incorporated. This amalgamation was first announced on December 22 and could purportedly see the smaller firm’s owners walk away with a pay-day worth at least $650 million.