Churchill Downs and Aristocrat Leisure both declined to comment on the settlement. The preliminary agreement was recently approved by a federal judge in Tacoma, Washington. The money will come in a $155 million class-action settlement, announced at the end of July, that will cover two major lawsuits filed against Big Fish Games its former owner, Churchill Downs and its current Australian parent company, Aristocrat Leisure, alleging that they were operating 'unlawful gambling devices.' Players have had some recourse in recent months thanks to successful lawsuits.Īfter a long legal battle, 2 million players, including Shellz and her husband, will be eligible to get a small part of their losses back - about 20 percent for those who lost $10,000 to $100,000. No court has yet considered all of the facts relating to how these games operate.' 'The vast majority of Big Fish Casino and Jackpot Magic Slots customers play without ever paying any money. 'Our games are offered for free purely for entertainment, with an opportunity for customers to spend money within the game to enhance their gameplay experience,' it said. 'These games are not gambling because, among other reasons, they offer no opportunity for players to win money or anything of value,' the statement said in part. In a response to NBC News' inquiries, the company issued a statement saying its games are not gambling and should not be regulated as such.

The company has said in previous court filings that only a fraction of the game's players actually spend money. 'The whole time I was working as an addiction counselor, I was addicted to gambling and with no hope of winning any money back,' she said.īig Fish Games did not make anyone available for an interview, nor did the company respond to detailed questions. Most of the 21 players wished to remain anonymous, as they were ashamed of their addictions and did not want their loved ones to find out about their behavior.Ī 42-year-old Pennsylvania woman said she felt saddened that she spent $40,000 on Big Fish Casino while working as an addiction counselor.

They described feelings of helplessness and wanting to quit but found themselves addicted to the games and tempted by the company's aggressive marketing tactics.

NBC News spoke to 21 people, including Shellz and her husband, who said they were hooked on the casino-style games and had spent significant sums of money. But unlike the gambling market, apps like Jackpot Magic and Big Fish Casino are under little oversight to determine whether they are fair or whether their business practices are predatory.

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