Australian sports betting firm suing its US CEO in Federal Court

[The Buzz]

PlayUp's U.S. CEO Dr. Laila Mintas — a regular speaker at many gaming industry events over the years — was hit with a temporary restraining order last week by her own company, which claimed allegations of potential “irreparable damages” from breach of contract by her.

According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Nov. 30, negotiations over a contract extension for Mintas — who was announced as PlayUp’s U.S. CEO in July 2020 — collapsed and led to "improper actions by Mintas."

From USBets.com

The allegations include that she “made contact with Mr. Sam Bankman-Fried, proprietor of third-party company FTX, and advised him that there is a conflict within management of PlayUp, and in so doing has caused the failure of the sale to FTX.”

Mintas also is alleged to have threatened to contact gaming regulators in the U.S. and to have made false statements about PlayUp with the hope that it would damage the reputation and standing of PlayUp “and lead to a termination of a gaming license in the relevant states.”

Alleged threats of injurious statements to business partners and customers of PlayUp could “cause it to be placed into liquidation or bankruptcy,” according to the lawsuit.

U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro on Dec. 3 wrote in issuing her temporary restraining order:

“Given the timing and sequence of events, and without the benefit of counterevidence, the Court can reasonably infer that Defendant intends to continually disparage Plaintiff in the course of carrying out her threats to harm Plaintiff’s reputation and standing. … On November 10, 2011, Defendant threatened to ‘burn PlayUp to the ground.’ … The Court can infer that Defendant carried out her threats to harm PlayUp’s reputation, standing, and goodwill.

“If Defendant does not carry out her threats of spreading false information about Plaintiff, then imposition of this temporary restraining order will not harm Defendant.

Mintas denied the allegations, telling US Bets:

"All the claims mentioned in the filing are wrong, and my lawyers are working on filing shortly my response to those claims to tell the true story based on written evidence.” She said she was prevented from commenting now on every detail, “as it would force me to make negative comments about the Australian leadership, which I have to restrain from because of my former employment contract and now the court order they put on me.”

Read more here: https://www.usbets.com/australian-sp...p-sues-us-ceo/

[chaumi]

Crikey, pick the bones out of that failed relationship!! Will be interesting to see what the response and/or truth is (ie what was really done, by whom, in what way, and why).