A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the US Northern District of California against AviaGames, the developer of popular casino apps Bingo Tour and Solitaire Clash. The lawsuit, filed by Andrew Pandolfi of Texas and Mandi Shawcroft of Idaho, accuses AviaGames of deceiving users into playing against computer bots instead of genuine human opponents.
AviaGames is a privately held company based in Mountain View, California, and offers casino apps like Solitaire Clash, Bingo Clash, and Bingo Tour. These apps rank among the top apps in the casino category on both Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play store.
The lawsuit claims that AviaGames falsely marketed its platform as a place for users to compete in games of skill against other human players. However, the suit alleges that the entire premise is a facade, asserting that AviaGames’ computers populate and control the games with computer bots, manipulating the outcomes. The lawsuit argues that AviaGames’ offerings constitute an unapproved gambling enterprise, describing the games as “manipulated games of chance.”
This legal action comes on the heels of lawsuits filed in 2021 by Avia’s rival, Skillz Games, for patent and copyright infringement against AviaGames. These earlier lawsuits uncovered alleged bot use and are still in progress through the court system. In the patent case against AviaGames, Skillz Games asserted that the use of bots allowed AviaGames to match up players quickly, gaining a competitive edge over Skillz, where customers sometimes had to wait up to 15 minutes for an opposing human player.
AviaGames has consistently denied the allegations. In response to inquiries about the class-action suit, an AviaGames spokeswoman issued a statement asserting the claims are baseless. The legal battle between AviaGames and Skillz is set to continue, with an upcoming trial date of February 2, 2024.
AviaGames and Skillz offer distinctive variations to traditional games such as bingo, solitaire, blackjack, and Tetris, infusing elements of skill to ensure compliance with legal standards. However, in nine states, laws prohibit skill gaming apps from accepting monetary deposits from players.
As the controversy unfolds, some players express longstanding suspicions about the fairness of AviaGames’ platform, with reports of rigged games. This lawsuit presents a significant legal blow to AviaGames and highlights the ongoing legal battle between the company and its rival, Skillz Games.