A former OnAir Entertainment employee has blown the whistle on alleged multi-year corporate espionage against competitor Playtech.
A former OnAir Entertainment employee has blown the whistle on alleged multi-year corporate espionage by the company against competitor Playtech.
An OnAir game portfolio lead retained access to internal Playtech systems after leaving their role with Playtech Live, according to explosive allegations made by ex-senior product owner Ivan Ivanovs.
For two years, this access allowed the live casino disruptor to covertly keep tabs on Playtech and learn about forthcoming game releases, sometimes up to six months in advance, Ivanovs has publicly alleged on LinkedIn.
Ivanovs said this gave the business the ability to “continuously access restricted internal environments of a competitor”, which included “top view of roadmap, markets, exclusive casino operators with dedicated studios and branded games.”
NEXT.io understands the OnAir game portfolio lead retained access to Playtech’s licensee portal, which allows operator partnership to preview upcoming games, not the entire internal system.
NEXT.io has corroborated this story with a second senior former OnAir employee, who wishes to remain anonymous. The source alleges to have been shown the internal Playtech environment while they still worked at the business.
“We are aware of the issue involving OnAir Entertainment and are investigating potential IP infringement and other possible claims,” a Playtech spokesperson told NEXT.io. “We are working to fully investigate this matter and will provide an update in due course.”
The full LinkedIn post can be accessed here.
Ivanovs engaged in legal action with OnAir
Ivanovs’ employment at OnAir ended in July 2023. Following his exit, the former senior product owner published a LinkedIn post to advertise his skills and achievements while seeking a new job.
Ivanovs claims that OnAir struck his non-compete clause, but that he was still served with a cease-and-desist letter for what OnAir described as disclosing trade secrets via his LinkedIn post.
Four months later, Ivanovs claims to have received a civil lawsuit from the company seeking €10,000 for the alleged trade secrets breach.
OnAir’s corporate entity is SIA Realtime.
In an official statement provided to NEXT.io, OnAir Entertainment said: “The OnAir Entertainment Group is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
“In response to the recent allegations raised on LinkedIn, we want to assure our clients and stakeholders that we are taking immediate and decisive action.
“The OnAir Entertainment Group has engaged the services of an independent investigator, to conduct a thorough examination of the allegations.
“As the investigation progresses, we will provide updates as appropriate, while respecting the confidentiality and privacy of all parties involved.”