Royal Match gambling class action overview:ย
- Who: A woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Turkish game developer Dream Games Teknoloji Anonim ลirket.
- Why: The plaintiff alleges the companyโs popular mobile game, Royal Match, violates state gambling laws.
- Where: The Royal Match gambling class action was filed in a Washington federal court.
A Washington state woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Turkish game developer Dream Games Teknoloji Anonim ลirket, alleging that its popular mobile game, Royal Match, violates state gambling laws.ย
Plaintiff Janna Schudde filed the class action lawsuit against Dream Games Teknoloji Anonim ลirketi Aug. 8 in a Washington federal court, alleging multiple violations of state law.
Schuddeโs lawsuit claims the mobile game Royal Match is addictive, and manipulates players into purchasing virtual gold coins to continue playing.
Game encourages โexcessiveโ spending, lawsuit claims
Schudde alleges Royal Match is designed to maximize addiction by manipulating the probability of success, enticing players to spend more money.ย
She claims Dream Games exploits psychological triggers similar to those used by casino operators to encourage excessive spending in the game.
According to the lawsuit, Schudde lost over $900 earlier this year on the game, which she alleges constitutes illegal gambling under Washington state law.ย
In Washington, gambling is defined as โstaking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the personโs control or influence upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.โย
Schuddeโs lawsuit argues that Royal Match meets this definition, as players wager virtual gold coins, which can be purchased with real money, to gain additional moves and lives in the game.
The lawsuit draws parallels to a 2018 ruling by the Ninth Circuit in the case of Kater v. Churchill Downs Inc., which found that another mobile game, Big Fish Casino, constituted illegal gambling under Washington law. The court determined that the virtual chips in Big Fish Casino were โthings of valueโ because they extended the right to play the game. Schuddeโs lawsuit also argues that the gold coins in Royal Match are โthings of value.โ
Not free to play, class action says
While Royal Match is marketed as a free-to-play game, the lawsuit claims this is misleading.ย
Although downloading the game is free, players are encouraged to spend money on in-app items, with prices that can escalate to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The lawsuit notes that these high-spending players, known as โwhalesโ in the industry, generate the majority of the gameโs profits.
According to the lawsuit, Dream Games has earned over $3 billion from player spending as of May 2024, with most of that revenue coming from Royal Match.ย
As a result, Schudde is looking to represent anyone in the United States who played Royal Match and lost purchased lives and coins. She is suing Dream Games for fraud, negligence, unjust enrichment, and for violating the stateโs consumer protection act. Schudde seeks certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
Last month, MobilityWare agreed to a $100,000 non-monetary settlement to end claims brought by users of the companyโs various mobile apps, who alleged MobilityWare collected user information without consent and sold it to third parties for targeted advertising purposes.
What do you think of the allegations against Dream Games? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Omer Salik of Carter Arnett Bennett Perez PLLC.ย
The Royal Match gambling class action lawsuit is Schudde v. Dream Games Teknoloji Anonim ลirket, Case No. 2:23-cv-01215, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
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283 thoughts onโAddictiveโ Royal Match game violates gambling laws, class action claims
add me, Iโve spent money of extras playing this game.
I play this every day and I agree that it is addicting and I have spent 100s, please add me
Please add me to this as well. RoyalMatch is addictive and Iโve spent money purchasing extra gold virtual coins to keep playing.
Yes!! Add me please!
I have spent a lot of money on Royal Match and have the proof.
I have been playing the game since it came out and havenโt spent a dime. If you are buying in so you can have more lives or tools, itโs on you. This game is no different than any other game that offers extras in exchange for a price.
If you are a parent, take time to play the game, no one is forced or coerced to do anything. You can EARN more tools individually or by playing collectively as a team. Lives regenerate over time. This game is no more addictive than any other game out there.
Exactly!!!!
Absolutely!! I play this game on the daily. My team helps out a lot. Why would anyone want play a game that frustrates them to the point of paying money? A little bit of patience goes a long way. Also, people need to start owning their own crap as opposed to blaming everyone else.
Itโs not only that game. There is a lot of games that say the same thing. You win without spending a cent. Well, let me tell you I did not send a sent. I spent dollars and thousands of them. I spent $2,000 on my sonโs credit card in two days without even realizing it. I would love to be added to this class action.
Itโs not only that game. There is a lot of games that say the same thing. You win without spending a cent. Well, let me tell you I did not send a sent. I spent dollars and thousands of them. I spent $2,000 on my sonโs credit card in two days without even realizing it. I would love to be added to this class action.
Add me
I played this RoyalMatch game and lost tons of money. I finally quit playing once I realized how much it would actually cost to keep going. I felt like a fool for playing at all. But it is very addictive.
Add me