Mobile Games: Money-Making Schemes and Gambling Law Violations? In this week’s newsletter, we’ll take a look at a couple of cases involving mobile games. Several lawsuits are claiming the casino-like games found on both Google and Apple app stores are violating some states’ gambling laws, while another says the latest installment in a classic game series is nothing more than a money-making scheme. Then, an investigation into several banks and credit card companies is looking to find out if consumers have been charged illegal and hidden fees on foreign transactions – so, if you like to travel, this one’s for you. Plus, Huda Beauty is facing accusations that the company knows its neon makeup palettes aren’t approved for use around the eyes – and yet advertises the products as eyeshadows anyway. The latest settlements are also included at the bottom, so keep reading for the latest. - Ty Armstrong, Writer/Community Manager |
| You should be able to use products the way they are advertised – but this may not be the case when it comes to Huda Beauty’s Neon Obsessions makeup. The company markets its neon orange, neon pink and neon green makeup palettes as eyeshadows, but a new proposed class action is claiming the products contain color additives that aren’t safe to be used in the eye area and even led to irritation and burning for the plaintiff. Now, Huda Beauty did include a warning on its Obsessions makeup palettes – but, according to the suit, this came in the form of a “mouse print” disclosure that’s buried deep within the products’ packaging and states that the makeup is “not intended for the eye area.” The lawsuit claims that the hidden warning isn’t enough to offset the sheer amount of advertising to the contrary, including Huda Beauty calling the product “The Dopest Eyeshadow Trend of 2019.” Want more? You can read up on the details here. |
Were You Charged Unlawful Fees for Foreign Transactions? If you used a Bank of America, Chase, TD Bank, or Capital One-issued credit or debit card to make a purchase while traveling overseas, you may have been overcharged on the transaction. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether certain banks and credit card companies are charging illegal and hidden fees on purchases made in foreign currencies – and whether lawsuits could be filed as a result. Attorneys believe that these fees are well hidden and nearly impossible to detect if you don’t know what you’re looking for – but they’re willing to review your credit or debit card statements (at no cost to you) to see if you were overcharged. If lawsuits are filed and successful, they could help put an end to any illegal practices and allow consumers the chance to get some money back. So, if you’ve traveled within the last few years and bought goods or services in a foreign currency using one of these cards, you’ll want to check out this page for more information. |
 Our settlements page is always being updated. Have you checked to see if you're covered by any open settlements? You can also check out the latest settlements as they happen by following us on Twitter. |
| Latest Settlements - Nissan Rogue, INFINITI QX56 - White Paint
If you bought a white Nissan Rogue produced between January 11, 2013 and April 23, 2013, or a white INFINITI QX56 produced between November 20, 2009 and December 12, 2012, you may be included in this settlement. - Washington Providence Hospital
This settlement covers those who received emergency treatment at a Providence Health and Services (PHS) Washington-affiliated hospital or a PHS-affiliated hospital in the state of Washington between February 20, 2014 and August 24, 2020. - Coach Outlet - Discount Pricing
This settlement covers those who bought certain items offered at a discount from a U.S. Coach outlet location between December 23, 2011 and August 24, 2020. | | |
To view a complete list of settlements and to find out how you can file a claim, click here. |
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| | ~ In Other News ~ | Lawsuits filed in several states are alleging that Apple and Google have promoted, enabled and profited from illegal gambling by offering hundreds of mobile casino-style games through their respective app stores. The lawsuits allege that the tech giants have run afoul of state laws in Georgia, Alabama, New York and New Mexico in that the slot, blackjack, roulette, poker, keno, bingo and card games offered through Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store are no different than real-world games of chance in which players wager—and can lose—real money. The suits go on to state that a game, including any of the top 200 found in the App Store and Play Store, in which a patron pays money for the chance to win more free playing time violates state law. After the initial lawsuit was filed in Alabama, additional cases followed covering more states – so more lawsuits may still be on the way. For details on the lawsuits as they currently stand, we have you covered. |
| When something we love is adapted for a different medium – be it a movie, game or TV show – it can be stressful waiting to see if the end result is as good as what we had before, but it typically doesn’t go poorly enough to warrant a lawsuit. Well, in this case, it did. Machine Zone, Inc. and developer Epic Action, LLC are facing a proposed class action claiming that the “re-skinned” version of their mobile game Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire has become “an illegal money-making scheme.” Specifically, the suit claims the game relies on “false and misleading pop-up advertisements” and casino-style design elements that are meant to disguise how much it actually costs to play the game until players are “financially and psychologically invested.” Essentially, the defendants turned the beloved free-to-play title into no more than “an exploitative monetized service,” or a “pay to play” game, according to the suit. For a closer look at what this all means for players, you can read up on the lawsuit here. |
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