Man Lost $8K Playing Wizard of Oz Slots App Game, Class Action Says

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Zynga was recently hit with a class action lawsuit in California challenging its free-to-play casino slot games after a man lost $8,000 playing the games.

Plaintiff Michael Owens says he and other consumers lost a significant amount of money through in-app purchases on Zynga’s casino slot games. The mobile app developer allegedly takes advantage of consumers with deceptive representations and violates California law with its “illegal” gambling scheme.

Owens allegedly started to play Zynga’s Wizard of Oz Slots in May 2020. By January 2021, Owens says, he spent over $8,000 purchasing in-game currency through the Google Play store. With this currency, Owens was able to make more bets and play more; he says he lost all of the in-game currency he purchased.

Owns says countless other consumers may have also faced significant losses due to Zynga casino slot games. Unfortunately, some consumers may feel powerless when it comes to quitting these games despite suffering monetary damages. According to Owens, Zynga’s game design plays into the same trends used by casinos to keep players addicted and spending money.

“Moreover, these games utilize the same psychological tricks that casinos and physical slot machines use to cause users to become addicted,” Owens contends in his Zynga casino slot games class action lawsuit.

“This keeps users playing — and spending. And the virtual platform only increases the opportunities to capitalize on the addictive tendencies of users.”

Specifically, the design of Zynga casino slot games allegedly deceives consumers into believing they can win big based on skill.

However, outcomes of these games are instead based on chance, Owens argues, meaning consumers are at the mercy of a random number generator.

According to Owens’ class action lawsuit, Zynga casino slot games violate California gambling laws due to their in-app purchases.

The currency purchased through in-app microtransactions is allegedly used exclusively for gambling. Because this currency is purchased with real money and used in wagers while playing the games, Owens contends the games count as real gambling.

Although gambling apps have previously skirted gambling laws by not providing monetary prizes, the plaintiff contends that Zynga violates California’s Unfair Competition Law with their gambling scheme.

“Based on Zynga’s marketing and representations regarding the Zynga Social Slots Games, including the above statement, Plaintiff believed that Wizard of Oz Slots was a legal video game, not an illegal slot machine,” the Zynga casino app class action lawsuit contends.

“Plaintiff would not have spent money at Wizard of Oz Slots if, before downloading and playing the game, Plaintiff had known that it and its virtual slot machines were illegal slot machines under California law.”

Owens seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased in-game currency and used the purchased “coins” to play Zynga social slot games, including:

• Hit It Rich!
• Black Diamond Casino
• Wizard of Oz Slots
• Willy Wonka Slots
• Game of Thrones Slots Casino
• Princess Bride Slots (discontinued)
• Slots – Riches of Olympus (discontinued)
• Spin It Rich! Free Casino Slots (discontinued)

On behalf of the proposed Class, Owens seeks restitution, disgorgement, damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

The Zynga Casino Slot Games Class Action Lawsuit is Michael Owens, et al. v. Zynga Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-01427, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.