Aristocrat Sued Over Big Fish Virtual Chips

Feb 2019

Dustin Jermalowicz | POSTED IN Blackjack | NO COMMENTS

Australian betting giant Aristocrat Leisure is being sued over the virtual chips offered through their Big Fish Casino product.

The company was sued in the Western District Court in Washington last week in a class-action suit, as punters claim that some of the games are “games of chance that are prohibited by Washington law”. These games include virtual blackjack, poker, slots, and other casino games.

The suit was filed by Manasa Thimmegowda, who lost $3,000 by purchasing virtual chips for the games, which offered no chance to win real money back. She’s contending that because the games are illegal under state law that she is entitled to recoup her losses as well as additional “appropriate relief”.

The plaintiff’s lawyers claim that the chips fall under the definition of a “thing of value”, as they’re required to extend the privilege of playing the games. Washington has strict gambling laws that defines gambling as “the staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the person’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

Aristocrat bought Big Fish Games in 2017 for nearly $1 billion. For their part, the company says it plans on vigorously defending the lawsuit, but haven’t been served with papers yet.