In August of 2020 game maker Huuuge, Inc. agreed to end a class action suit by settling to pay out $6.5 million to members of the class.
The company operates online social casino apps such as Huuuge Casino, Billionaire Casino, and Stars Slots.
As is typical of these kinds of cases the company does not admit to any wrong doing but this agreement will close the case and allow all parties to move on.
If you played any of their apps before August 31, 2020, while residing in Washington state you may be a party to the class. If so and you are interested in joining the class you need to file a claim form by January 4, 2021. You can learn more here.
While this suit applies exclusively to residents of Washington state the court documents reveal information that may be of interest to anyone who plays social casino apps.
First, the initial suit was filed by a person who spent only $9.99 to buy coins from Huuuge.
The defendant’s case claims that losing purchased coins playing a social casino app violated Washington statute RCW4.24.070 (Recovery of money lost at gambling) that says:
“all persons losing money or anything of value at or on any illegal gambling games shall have a cause of action to recover from the dealer or player winning, or from the proprietor for whose benefit such game was played or dealt, or such money or things of value won, the amount of the money or the value of the thing so lost“.
Washington Statute RCW4.24.070
Were the case to have reached trial I assume the defendant would first have to prove that Huuuge games were actually forms of gambling AND that this form of gambling was actually illegal.
Huuuge’s defense would most likely have been that social casino apps are not true gambling since the opportunity to win real money does not exist.
Second, and what I suspect is the real concern behind these kinds of apps, is their long-term impact on at least some members of society.
That stood out when the defendant’s attorneys cited several studies in the initial court filing that suggest playing social casino apps can lead to an addiction to traditional forms of gambling.
It reminds of me similar claims about allowing teens to vape can lead to cigarette addiction.
I understand both the connection and the concern.
A recent article on NBC relayed the story of one couple who has spent $150,000 on a social casino app in a matter of only two years and another woman who spent $400,000.
Those are frightening amounts of money to spend on an app.
The Huuuge, Inc. case is also not the first such law suit. I expect we’ll see this continue to play out in the courts for several reasons:
- These games are unregulated
- Evidence suggests that some of these apps and or their marketing strategies are structured to play to someone’s addiction
In the end, it comes down to how far we expect our governments to go to protect us from ourselves.
If you believe you have become addicted to social casino apps there is support available to you. You can contact the National Council on Problem Gambling.