In New Jersey, the local subsidiary of British online sportsbook operator, William Hill, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against FanDuel Incorporated over allegations that the rival provider had copied its ‘how to bet’ guide almost word for word.

Plagiarism claims:

According to a Wednesday report from the Associated Press news service, the London-listed firm’s William Hill US subordinate filed its action with the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on Tuesday claiming copyright infringement.

Complaint seeks unspecified damages:

The Associated Press reported that the lawsuit from William Hill US, which offers online and land-based sportsbetting services to aficionados in New Jersey via arrangements with Ocean Resort Casino and Monmouth Park Racetrack, is seeking unspecified damages alongside any profits the defendant may have made from the allegedly copied guide.

Alleged online and land-based infractions:

The news service reported that the plaintiff is claiming that FanDuel Incorporated posted its allegedly plagiarized guide online via the sportsbetting site it runs in partnership with Meadowlands Racetrack before circulating a paper option around the Bergen County facility a month later.

Word for word contentions:

Citing court documents, the Associated Press moreover reported that William Hill US is alleging that FanDuel Incorporated utilized entire blocks of verbatim content from its own guide including one that featured a hypothetical example of a baseball pitcher facing a rival. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the lawsuit claims that the defendant had in one case even neglected to remove the plaintiff’s own name from the supposedly copied text.

Chief Executive Officer for William Hill US, Joe Asher, to the Associated Press…

“We are not litigious people but this is ridiculous. If the court finds in our favor, a portion of the proceeds will fund scholarships for creative writing programs at New Jersey universities.”

Nascent market:

The Associated Press detailed that the lawsuit indicates how important the budding New Jersey sportsbetting market is to both providers and how firms will fight in order to protect their brands and market share. It explained that bookmakers in ‘The Garden State’ have attracted some $336 million in bets since the activity was legalized in June with last month’s tally reaching $184 million.