AG’s office sues illegal gambling apps that have taken more than $225 million from Washingtonians

Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit Tuesday against several companies that operate unlicensed electronic gambling applications (casino apps) which have taken more than $225 million from Washingtonians since September 2020. The main companies, Playtika and Aristocrat, do not have licenses to operate their gambling apps in Washington, yet combined they operate 16 apps that more than 150,000 Washingtonians use to engage in gambling activities every month. The complaint alleges the companies violated the Gambling Act and the Consumer Protection Act, and seeks to halt these unlawful activities and recover all the money Washingtonians have lost to this scheme.

The companies have also allegedly engaged in deceptive practices in violation of the Consumer Protection Act. None of the apps ask players for their age or date of birth and, most disturbingly, Playtika allegedly targets children with its gambling activities. Playtika’s Bingo Blitz app features a blue cartoon cat named Blitzy and his pink mouse pal named Moxie. Blitzy also has a grandma cat that gives Blitzy a photo album to fill with pictures of his travels, which he obtains by playing bingo on the Bingo Blitz map. Bingo Blitz also has an associated Youtube channel that produces content akin to children’s television. Some users report that their children use their parents’ phones to play casino apps like Bingo Blitz, spending hundreds of dollars in the process.

“These companies repeatedly violated Washington law, engaged in deceptive practices, and fleeced Washingtonians out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” Brown said. “It is especially troubling to see gambling apps targeting children.”

In the apps, which include Caesar’s Casino Slots, World Series of Poker, and Big Fish Casino, Washingtonians have collectively spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying “virtual currency” to then wager that currency on the outcomes of contests of chance, such as slots, poker and scratchcards, all for the opportunity to win virtual currency to wager more. This is illegal gambling, as alleged, and Washingtonians have lost millions. Some individuals have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

As alleged in the lawsuit, Playtika and Aristocrat seek to replicate the casino experience in a mobile app, making gambling available anywhere, anytime and to anyone. As Playtika puts it, they want to give “players the Las Vegas experience at the palm of their hand.” The difference being that Las Vegas cashes out a player’s winnings, whereas these casino apps hold onto a player’s winnings, banking it within the app so the player’s only option to make use of their winnings is to keep gambling within the app. 

Washington carefully regulates gambling activities to protect and safeguard the public. In 2006, the Legislature amended the 1973 Gambling Act to make it clear that internet gambling is prohibited under Washington law unless the operator has a license. The definition of gambling under Washington law involves wagering a “thing of value.” The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that virtual currency in casino apps are a “thing of value.” Playtika and Aristocrat should be well aware of this. In 2020, Playtika settled a consumer class action lawsuit for $38 million over claims of violating Washington law, while Big Fish Games (which is now part of Aristocrat) settled a similar suit. 

However, these companies have continued to operate in Washington after this 2018 ruling and also settling prior class actions.   

Read the complaint here. 

Here is a full list of the casino apps included in the lawsuit: Slotomania, House of Fun, Caesar’s Casino Slots, Vegas Downtown Slots, World Series of Poker, Poker Heat, Monopoly Poker, Governor of Poker 3, Bingo Blitz, Big Fish Casino, Jackpot Magic Slots, Lightning Link Casino, Cashman Casino, Heart of Vegas, Mighty Fu Casino, and NFL Superbowl Slots Casino.

If you or someone you know is suffering from gambling addiction or gaming disorder, please contact the Washington State Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-547-6133. Other resources can also be accessed here.

-30-

Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties.

Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Email: press@atg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 753-2727

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ