Months after Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise said the mobile gaming platform was not done fighting against bots, the company has now filed another lawsuit. This time the company is suing Voodoo, the company behind mobile apps such as “Blitz – Win Cash.” The complaint alleges that Voodoo falsely advertises its games as being skill-based while using bots to fix in-game outcomes. Skillz’s suit also claims that the company has lost costumers in its own games thanks to the actions of Voodoo.
Summing up the complaint, Skillz claims that Voodoo is using bots to fix the outcome of in-game tournaments, and that the company is falsely claiming in its advertising that its Blitz game was only played against human opponents. It also says that Voodoo’s claims to not profit on the outcome of matches and to be available only to users 21 or older. To quote the complaint: “All of these statements—and countless others made by Voodoo both on its mobile application and elsewhere—are false and misleading.”
Paradise said in the company’s May earnings call, “Skillz will continue to combat the deceptive usage of bots until systemic fraud in our industry is eliminated. Creating a fairer future in gaming is good for consumers, our industry, as well as for Skillz.” According to the complaint, Skillz claims damages as a result of Voodoo’s alleged behavior: “As a result of Voodoo’s false and misleading statements and use of bots, Skillz has lost customers (including prospective customers) and has been damaged, including by way of lost market share, revenue, and profits.”
Skillz settled its patent infringement lawsuit against AviaGames in May, with the former being awarded $42.9 million by the jury. As part of that lawsuit, Skillz pointed to alleged uses of bots by AviaGames to defraud players, which has prompted a federal investigation into Avia’s activities. Skillz has also sued Papaya Gaming, also for the alleged use of bots in games advertised as “skills-based.”