AG’s office sues illegal gambling apps that have taken more than $225M from Washingtonians
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has recently filed a lawsuit against various companies that operate unlicensed gambling applications, such as casino apps that have taken over $225 million from local residents over the previous six years.
This dates back to September 2020, with the main companies named as Playtika and Aristocrat. Although both don’t have a valid license to operate their apps in Washington, a total of 150,000 users engage in gambling activities every month across 16 apps.
Furthermore, these apps do not ask for age or date of birth, engaging in deceptive practices 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.”
Gambling apps the source of losses
Players use various apps available to them, including the likes of Caesar’s Casino Slots, World Series of Poker, and Big Fish Casino, among others, to buy virtual currency, spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.
This currency is then used on things such as slots, scratch cards and poker, with winnings paid in virtual currency that is used to continue wagering.
The lawsuit states that both Playtika and Aristocrat seek to offer the user an authentic casino experience, with the former stating that they want to give “players the Las Vegas experience at the palm of their hand.”
It isn’t a Vegas experience at all, however, as players cannot cash out on their bets while using the apps, with some spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process.
In 2006, the legislature amended the 1973 Gambling Act in order to make it clear that gambling on the internet is prohibited unless the operator has a valid license.
Playtika settled a class action lawsuit in 2020 worth $38 million regarding claims that they violated Washington law.
Featured Image: Nick Brown via Washington State Office of the Attorney General site / Canva
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