Aristocrat Leisure, the ASX-listed poker machine and online gaming giant, misled technology platforms and broke local gambling rules in promoting its popular “social casino” apps, according to a class action lawsuit brought against it in the Federal Court.

While better known for its dominance of the gaming machine sector, Aristocrat has been growing its free-to-play online casino products such as Lightning Link and Heart of Vegas. The lawsuit alleges the company misled technology firms by saying they were complying with laws when gaining approval to have their apps made available to Australian customers.