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Game Show Network LLC, a video game development company, was hit with a class action lawsuit earlier this week accusing it of violating Washington law by operating online gambling games.
Plaintiff Elise Bell filed the GSN class action lawsuit Wednesday in Washington federal court.
She claims GSN’s Casino game, which allows consumers to play slot machines on Apple iOS devices, Android devices and Facebook, constitutes illegal gambling and has allowed GSN to illegally profit from tens of thousands of consumers.
“Defendant provides a bundle of free ‘tokens’ to first-time visitors of its online casinos that can be used to wager on its games,” Bell says in the GSN Casino class action lawsuit. “After consumers inevitably lose their initial allotment of tokens, GSN attempts to sell them additional tokens starting at $1.99 for 180,000 tokens. Without tokens, consumers cannot play GSN’s gambling games.”
By playing GSN Casino, consumers wager to win more tokens, which they would otherwise would have to pay for. Players cannot continue to play the GSN Casino game after they run out of free tokens, the GSN class action lawsuit says.
Bell claims that internet-connected mobile devices have led to the growth of “free-to-play” video games, through which consumers can download games for free. However, the game developers are able to reap significant profits by selling “in app” items available for purchase.
According to the GSN class action lawsuit, these in-app purchases have been especially attractive to developers of games of chance because they are able to generate massive profits. Bell says these games of chance have generated more than $3.8 billion in revenue in 2017, and that profits are expected to grow by 10 percent annually.
Bell says these free-to-play games of chance exploit the same psychological triggers that casino operators exploit in order to maximize their profits. Like casinos, the game developers rely on a small group of players to provide the bulk of their profits.
“These ‘whales,’ as they’re known in casino parlance, account for just ‘0.15% of players’ but provide ‘over 50% of mobile game revenue,’” Bell alleges in the casino game class action lawsuit.
The GSN class action lawsuit says that consumers who download the GSN Casino app on their smartphones or tablets or who play the game via Facebook do not create an account with GSN. Nor do they agree to any terms of service before playing the GSN Casino game, Bell says.
According to the GSN Casino class action lawsuit, Bell began playing GSN Casino on Facebook in 2016 and lost more than $700 playing its games of chance.
Bell filed the GSN class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and a proposed Class of consumers in Washington who purchased and lost tokens at GSN’s online casino games.
The GSN Casino class action lawsuit asserts claims for violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act and unjust enrichment.
Bell is represented by Janissa A. Strabuk, Cecily C. Shiel of Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC; and by Benjamin H. Richman, Rafey Balabanian, Eve-Lynn Rapp, and Todd Logan of Edelson PC
The GSN Casino Online Gambling Class Action Lawsuit is Elise Bell v. Game Show Network LLC, Case No. 3:18-cv-05393, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma.
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335 thoughts onGSN Casino Games are Online Illegal Gambling, Class Action Says
I have documentation of their knowledge of lost tokens, crashed games etc. I have lost a great deal of money and would like to join suit. I also have asked for copies of rules and only received answers that Rhea ganpmes were over
Any updates
What’s the update on the case
Sign me up please.
sign me up as i can’t get gsn powered by paypal to accept my credit card to purchase tokens to play games like blazing cherry slots and the other version of gsn, i had no problems and i have been playing games on gsn for 12 years… bummer
Seems like we all have the same complaint. I guess I have to blame myself for being gullible. I’m a caretaker to my 95 year old mom who has alzheimers, and the GSN games have been a “stress buster” for me.
These games a addictive and a ripe off at the same time. I’ve been playing this one game for 5 plus years. Sometimes when a new board comes, u can’t get on the game site until u download the new board. Even it u don’t want to play the new board. I truly believe that the game has cost me 3 phones. Like this one Im on, just bought it last Jan. And now my speaker is broke, i can only text people. Oh, i can hear them bit they can’t hear me. I WISH THAT THE LAWYERS THAT TAKE THIS CASE COULD PLAY A FEW OF THEIR SITES, JUST TO GET HANDS ON OF HOW DECEIVING GSN REALLY IS!!!
Please give an update on this investigation.
This game and many more are very additive. There is an amazing rush when you win thousands of points. It then crashes quickly . You play and play adding more coins till broke. Add me in.
I have lost over $8,000 dollars playing and purchasing coins and get nothing. They let you play free until u lose. A pop-up offers you to buy coins knowing this is addictive and you get nothing this illegal gambling and the buyer gets coins to play but when you win you get nothing in return.
I live in florida will this lawsuit cover florida