Washington State lawsuit claims popular mobile casino apps violated gambling and consumer laws while drawing hundreds of thousands of users into costly virtual betting

Olympia, Washington – The Attorney General of Washington has launched a sweeping lawsuit against a number of corporations that are accused of running illegal gambling applications that have taken more than $225 million from citizens over the past four years. Attorney General Nick Brown filed the lawsuit on Tuesday against businesses that allegedly operated casino-style apps without a license, which is against state law.

The complaint says that two big corporations, Playtika and Aristocrat, are at the center of the case. They run 16 electronic gambling apps that are very popular in the state, even though they don’t have permission to offer gambling services in Washington. State officials believe that more than 150,000 people in Washington use these apps every month and spend a lot of real money in the process.

The lawsuit says that the corporations broke both the state’s Gambling Act and the Consumer Protection Act. The Attorney General’s Office wants to stop the apps from working in Washington and get back all the money that people lost while using them. Investigators said that players as a group spent hundreds of millions of dollars on virtual currency, which they then used to bet on games of chance like slots, poker, and scratchcards.

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State officials say that these transactions fit the legal definition of gambling. Players might earn more virtual money, but the applications didn’t let them cash out, which meant that users had to keep betting on the platforms. Some individuals reportedly lost staggering amounts, with losses reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The lawsuit additionally addresses dishonest business methods, especially the fact that they don’t check people’s ages. None of the apps allegedly require users to confirm their age, and one company is accused of marketing its games in ways that appeal to children. One bingo-themed software has cartoon animals, animated stories, and videos that look like kids’ TV shows. Users say that some children used their parents’ phones to get these applications and made big purchases inside them.

“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.”

To keep people safe, Washington law severely controls gaming. In 2006, lawmakers made it clear that internet gambling is against the law unless the operator has a valid license. A federal court ruling in 2018 also said that virtual casino cash is a “thing of value,” which supports the state’s case even more. Even though the court ruled that way and there had been other class-action settlements with identical claims, the corporations listed in the lawsuit allegedly continued operating in Washington.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the case is meant to enforce the law and prevent practices that have caused a lot of financial damage. The court filing has a full list of the applications that are being sued. People who have been impacted by problem gambling are encouraged to get treatment from state support agencies.