Ohlhausen defined a computer algorithm as a set of rules or instructions that can model thousands of 'extremely complex and nuanced behaviors' in a fraction of a second 'and react almost instantaneously to changes.' The lawsuit points to concerns about algorithmic pricing identified in a 2017 speech by Maureen Ohlhausen, a former acting chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission. 'But I can't imagine these companies talking to one another,' he said, 'and certainly not on price.' 'Then they can decide if they want to go above it, below it, or just ignore it.' 'Rest assured, they watch each other,' Feldman said. 'We intend to expose the under-the-table deals perpetrated by these Vegas hotels.' Algorithm to 'maximize pricing'Īlan Feldman, a longtime MGM Resorts executive who is now a fellow at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said hotels, airlines and car rental companies monitor costs and prices throughout what he termed 'the travel ecosystem.'
'What happens in Vegas will no longer stay in Vegas,' Berman said. In a statement, plaintiffs' attorney Steve Berman invoked and reshaped a ubiquitous advertising campaign tagline introduced in early 2003.
