Gaming provider Aristocrat Leisure will settle two class action lawsuits brought by US customers who lost as much as $US300,000 each playing online casino games.
Aristocrat will pay $US31 million ($A47 million) as its share of a US$US155 million ($A237 million) settlement to the claimants who said the games Big Fish Casino, Jackpot Magic Slots and Epic Diamond Slots – offered by Aristocrat business Big Fish Games – were games of chance prohibited by Washington law.
The US state does not allow online gambling.
One woman in the group, Suzie Kelly, claims to have lost more than $US300,000 to her addiction to Big Fish Casino.
She said she withdrew funds from her husband’s retirement account and took out two home loans to pay Big Fish credit card debts.
A US court in 2018 found Big Fish Casino’s virtual casino chips constituted gambling, and allowed the civil lawsuit to continue.
The first of the legal actions was filed against US company Churchill Downs, which owned the games business prior to selling it to Aristocrat in 2018.
Churchill Downs will pay the remainder of the settlement costs.
The costs cover money lost on the games and 카지노사이트 legal fees.
By 1405 AEST, Aristocrat shares were trading higher by 1.14 per cent at $25.81.
Last week, the company reported half-year profit had fallen 14.2 per cent to $305.9 million as casinos, 카지노사이트 pubs and clubs closed because of coronavirus restrictions.
