A court in Tbilisi awarded $330M to Aviator LLC over the unauthorized use of its brand. This marks the largest ruling in the history of Georgia’s gambling industry. A major casino’s key product was banned, and the offenders were stripped of their trademarks. The decision could reshape the rules of the game for the entire gambling sector in the region.

Aviator LLC is the rightful owner of the original brand and visual identity. Spribe OÜ developed a game with the same name, which became a hit in Georgia. Adjarabet, the country’s largest online casino, streamed and heavily promoted the game. Aviator filed the lawsuit against both companies, claiming their product was someone else’s idea launched under a stolen name.

Spribe registered a similar trademark despite the fact that the Aviator brand already existed, and the Aviator app was popular in many different countries. Moreover, it used the same imagery and name in its game. All of this took place under the watch of Adjarabet, where the game was streamed live. Aviator argued that its competitors not only infringed copyright but did so knowingly.

The Georgian court took a hardline stance. The trademarks registered by Spribe were declared invalid. Use of the brand was prohibited. Adjarabet was ordered to remove the game from its platform. Aviator was awarded $330M in damages. The court acted swiftly and granted all claims — from revoking rights to compensating for past use.

Such an outcome is rare, especially in an industry where copyright is often ignored for years. From now on, companies operating in the gambling space are unlikely to risk using someone else’s brand. The ruling sent a strong warning to the entire market.

Also read: Colombia introduces a new online gambling tax.