Has your child played “free to play” video games known as “gacha” games? These popular games, usually played on mobile phones, are typically free to download, but make money from in-game purchases via the “gacha” system that allow the player to advance in the game. Under the gacha system, players purchase “pulls” or random chances to win a “prize” (such as a character or weapon that can be used in the game), but the odds of winning the most highly desired prizes are very low and may cost hundreds of dollars in purchases to win.
Our investigation indicates that the developers of these games promote them as “free” and actively market them to minors, but do not disclose that the gacha system is highly addictive and may constitute illegal gambling in many states. In addition, many of these developers have misleading no-refund policies, even though minors are entitled to refunds under state contract law when they end their relationship with a business.
Examples of gacha games include, but are not limited to:
If your child played and spent money on one or more of these gacha games and you are interested in learning more about our investigation, please complete the confidential form below, and a member of our team will contact you. This information is confidential and will not be shared or used for other purposes.
We look forward to hearing from you.