A U.S. District judge has approved a $415 million class-action settlement in relation to claims that two online gambling companies, DoubleDown Interactive LLC and International Game Technology PLC, breached Washington state gambling laws and consumer protection regulations.
Judge Robert Lasnik ruled that the settlement was “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” His ruling brings four years of litigation to a close after online users had brought action against the companies and their ‘social casino’ games. In their case, the plaintiffs alleged that social casino games “constitute unlawful gambling under Washington’s gambling laws.”
Games at both International Game Technology (IGT) and DoubleDown’s websites in the state are free to play with the companies arguing that they fall outside the regulation of the state gaming authority as there are no real money prizes. Defense lawyers argued that the claims “rest on novel and untested interpretations of Washington’s gambling laws.”
According to the lawsuit, members of the class action suit “purchased and lost chips” through the DoubleDown Casino (a sweepstakes / social casino). The lawyers claimed that they were entitled to pursue their losses under state laws and consumer protection protocols.
Judge Lasnik also awarded $121.5 million in legal fees to the attorneys for the class action suit.
While seven members of the class action suit had opted out of the settlement, the plaintiffs’ lawyer Todd Logan said that the remaining members stand to receive hundreds of thousand of dollars.
Logan’s firm Edelson has said that the latest settlement means that the firm has now won over $651 million in class action suits against social casinos.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.