Korean social casino game operator DoubleUGames said on April 15 that a lawsuit filed against its US affiliate DoubleDown Interact would have limited impact. DoubleUGames’ statement came after a class action suit was filed against four social casino game companies including DDI in Washington on April 12, following a court ruling on March 28 terming operations of US-based Big Fish Casino as illegal online gambling as per state law. “We believe that the ruling of the Ninth Circuit of US Court of Appeals on Big Fish Casino is quite unusual,” the company said in a statement, citing four previous cases…

In Washington State, class action lawsuits have been filed against four social gaming sites in which the operators are alleged to have violated state law by charging customers to compete in play money casino games. Those followed suit on a case against online site Big Fish Casino that had been initially dismissed back in 2015 when filed by a player, but was then overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in March. Cheryl Kater, a customer of Big Fish Casino, filed a lawsuit against the social casino in 2015, claiming she paid for play money chips which, of course,…

Slot machines are the most profitable part of any casino. Why? Because they’re designed to be addictive. When users play with slot machines, they’re risking their own money, and if they aren’t careful, they could land in a heap of debt, sometimes without even realizing it; accordingly, slot machines are heavily regulated (usually by state in the United States) to carefully control the odds of payout, and how they can be played. But once a psychological phenomenon is discovered and exploited, it rarely stays in just one place for long. Studying the design and effectiveness of slot machines and other…

The Gambling Commission is considering a credit card ban for online betting. The regulator’s report into how to make online gambling safer said consumers “should not gamble with money that they do not have”. Betting operators have suggested credit cards are used for between 10% and 20% of deposits online. Before taking action the regulator will explore whether a ban would instead force people to use “payday” loans. Other proposed changes include improving age verification processes, banning operators from providing “free-to-play” games to children and tackling “unacceptable marketing and advertising”. The latest suggestions come after a consultation by the Department…

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has announced the addition of six new companies as board-level members. GVC Holdings PLC, Paddy Power Betfair, Stars Group, BMM Testlabs, Golden Entertainment and Choctaw Casinos and Resorts will all be represented on the AGA board of directors. Confirmation of the new additions comes after the AGA last week entered into a strategic alliance with BMM, under which the latter will share its expertise on gaming and regulatory issues with the AGA and its members. Geoff Freeman, president and chief executive of the AGA, said: “More than ever before, AGA’s diverse membership reflects the broad…

What do you do when you have all the money in the world? Well the rich and famous have found a variety of ways to ensure they are enjoying every penny. Whether that’s purchasing luxury cars, houses, vacationing away as often as possible, anything and everything they desire. And when they have a little too much left over to spend, they get creative and gamble to make more winnings. For many, throwing a few hundred grand at the casino table doesn’t even put a dent in the wallet. So like us all, celebrities like to have a little fun at…