like yours do they? Maybe you can get a few million. :)

Acres Gaming Wins Patent Suit Against Mikohn; Awarded $1.5 Mln

(Bloomberg) -- Acres Gaming Inc., which makes systems that calculate bonus points and jackpot frequencies on slot machines, won its patent lawsuit against Mikohn Gaming Corp. and was awarded $1.5 million in damages, the companies said.

A jury in the federal lawsuit yesterday found that Mikohn, a maker of slot machines and casino table games, infringed two of Acres' patents, Acres Chief Financial Officer Reed Alewel said. The patents cover software that selects which games will participate in bonuses. The verdict also validated two of Acres' other patents.

Both companies are based in Las Vegas. Acres has a software- engineering office in Corvallis, Oregon.

Mikohn, which intends to appeal the verdict, will take a charge of $3.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2000 for the damages and to write down certain assets. Mikohn didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Acres and Las Vegas-based Casino Data Systems, which had been a party to the litigation, settled their dispute before the trial.

Shares of Acres, which have more than doubled the past year, were unchanged at $5.84 in early afternoon trading. Mikohn shares fell 44 cents, or 11 percent, to $3.69. Its shares have fallen 48 percent in the past year.

Mar/28/2001 12:40 ET