Class Action Claims Huuuge Online Casino Is Illegal Under Washington State Law [UPDATE]
Last Updated on November 11, 2020
Wilson v. Huuuge, Inc.
Filed: April 6, 2018 ◆§ 3:18cv5276
The lawsuit claims Huuuge, Inc.'s purportedly free-to-play casino games are actually games of chance prohibited under state law.
Case Updates
November 11, 2020 – File a Claim: Huuuge Settlement Website Is Live
The official website for the $6.5 million settlement detailed below is live and can be found here:
To file a claim, head on over to this page.
A feature of this particular settlement is an online tool that allows those covered by the deal to estimate how much they might be able to recover. If you’re included in the settlement, you can estimate your base settlement amount, which is based in part on the amount spent on Huuuge games on or before July 23, 2020, on this page. A thorough breakdown of how payment amounts will be tallied can be found here.
Claims must be filed by January 4, 2021, and a hearing for final approval of the settlement is tentatively set for February 11. The settlement administrator can be reached here.
September 4, 2020 – Lawsuit Settled for $6.5 Million
After an unsuccessful attempt to handle the suit via arbitration, defendant Huuuge, Inc. has agreed to settle the proposed class action detailed on this page for $6.5 million, according to an August 23 court filing.
The proposed settlement now awaits preliminary approval from a federal judge in Washington state.
The plaintiff’s unopposed motion for preliminary settlement approval relays that participating Huuuge Casino gamers stand to recover “substantial portions” of the alleged damages, ranging from 10 to more than 50 percent.
“Particularly in the midst of a pandemic-drive recession, these recoveries will be life-changing for many class members,” the motion reads. “Importantly, the settlement further requires Huuuge to implement meaningful prospective relief, including by providing addiction-related resources within their social casino games and by creating and honoring a comprehensive self-exclusion policy.”
The proposed settlement comes roughly six months after Huuuge in March inserted a pop-up window into its apps that prevented users from accessing previously purchased gaming chips unless they agreed to revised terms and conditions, which specified a “governing law and binding arbitration” provision. Settlement documents say the plaintiff filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to have the pop-up removed, but the move was denied by the court.
Mediation to resolve the case began in May.
Video game developer Huuuge, Inc. is the defendant in a proposed class action filed in Washington by a plaintiff who claims the defendant’s online casino—Huuuge Casino—has illegally profited from tens of thousands of consumers in violation of state law.
The lawsuit explains that the defendant offers first-time players an initial “free” bundle of chips needed to play its variety of online slot machines. After consumers almost certainly lose their upfront cache of chips, the complaint says, the defendant then attempts to sell players 100,000,000 chips for $4.99. The defendant’s call to sell consumers more chips by the thousands draws particular attention in the lawsuit, with the plaintiff claiming this pitch shifts the scales in Huuuge’s favor:
“The decision to sell chips by the thousands isn’t an accident. Rather, Defendant attempts to lower the perceived cost of the chips (costing just a fraction of a penny per chip) while simultaneously maximizing the value of the award (awarding millions of chips in jackpots), further inducing consumers to bet on its games.”
The lawsuit pegs the defendant’s operation as “unlawful games of chance camouflaged as innocuous [video games].”
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