Virtual casino losses are not “real-world” problems, according to U.S. District Judge James Bredar.
The federal judge was referring to the Game of War, which is a free-to-play game, but players can buy digital gold—ranging from $4.99 for 1,200 pieces to $99.99 for 20,000—that they can exchange for virtual chips to wager on a virtual casino-like spinning wheel, according to ars technica. The virtual prizes that can be won with every spin include wood, stone, chips and even gold—the virtual kinds, of course.
Here’s the problem: a Maryland woman filed a class-action lawsuit against the game’s maker, California-based Machine Zone. In the suit, Mia Mason alleged the game’s algorithms are resulting in gamblers winning the basic prizes instead of the more valuable ones like gold.
In her suit, Mason claimed the virtual casino is an unlawful “slot machine or device,” from which she lost more than $100.