What the agreement a player accepts actually says

The Terms of Use and Service Agreement on RealPrize's own website is the contract a player accepts when registering. Read on its own, it describes an entertainment product and nothing else.

In capital letters, it states: "THIS WEBSITE AND THE SERVICE PROVIDED HEREIN DO NOT OFFER REAL MONEY GAMBLING." It says the platform is "INTENDED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY." The site's own footer repeats the point in plainer words: the platform "is a play-for-fun website" that "does not offer 'real money gambling' or the opportunity to win real money based on gameplay."

The money, by contrast, is treated as gone the moment it is spent. Purchases, the agreement says, "are final and are not refundable."

That is the company's own account of what it sells. It is worth holding in mind while reading what the product actually does.

What the platform actually does with the money

The brand is called RealPrize. The homepage advertises "FAST REDEEM" alongside "BEST VIP PROGRAM" and a welcome bonus. The platform runs slots, bingo, video poker and other casino-style games, and players redeem what they win.

So a player encounters two descriptions of the same product, published by the same company, at the same time, a few inches apart on the same website. One says there is no opportunity to win real money based on gameplay. The other is the brand name, the redemption feature, and the promise that redemption is fast.

This is the pattern we are investigating across this industry, and it does not require a player's testimony to establish. It sits in the operator's own publications.

Where you are allowed to play, and where you are not

The terms restrict access from Connecticut, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York and Washington, along with any jurisdiction outside the United States.

Seven states is a short list by the standards of this industry — some competitors block seventeen. That matters to players for a practical reason. Operators in this corner of the market tend to withdraw from the states whose laws are least comfortable for them. Where a company has chosen not to operate is often a better guide to the legal risk it perceives than anything in its marketing, and the states it still serves are where most of the money is being lost.

Why we believe this is unlawful, and what you may be able to recover

Most states draw a line between a game played for amusement and gambling played for money, and they license the second. A platform that takes real dollars, runs casino games on them and pays cash out is, on the face of it, doing the second thing. We believe it is illegal gambling, and that in most states a player who lost money is entitled to recover it.

Three separate claims follow, and they do not depend on each other.

The first is loss recovery. Many states let a person recover money lost to gambling that was never licensed or authorized where they live. Depending on the state, that can mean the full amount lost, and some states allow more than the amount lost.

The second is deception. We believe that building a two-currency structure for the purpose of not having to call the product gambling is itself unfair and deceptive under most states' consumer protection laws. The structure is not incidental — it is the point. It is what allows a casino to tell a player, in writing, that it is not a casino, and it works: players believe it, which is why they play.

The third concerns cancellation. Where a player tried to stop recurring charges and found it difficult, or was charged after trying to cancel, that can be a claim in its own right — one that does not turn on the gambling question at all. We ask about it because players often do not realize it is separate.

Which of these is available to you, and what it is worth, depends on your state. That is not a hedge. It is the actual shape of this area of law, and it is the first thing we check.

What Maginnis Howard is doing about it

We are investigating how RealPrize sells and markets its coin packages, what it tells players about whether the games are legal, how it handles cancellations and redemptions, and what the gap between its marketing and its contract means for players who lost money.

If you bought RealPrize coins with real money and lost more than you ever redeemed, we would like to hear from you. What helps most is the email address on your account and your best estimate of what you paid in and what you got back; we confirm your state with you when we review your claim. If you also had trouble cancelling a recurring charge, tell us that too.

You do not need purchase records to talk to us — obtaining them is part of what we do. There is no cost to have your situation reviewed, and no fee unless we recover money for you.

The legal basis

Why this may be illegal

RealPrize is an online casino-style platform where players buy coin packages with real money, play slot and bingo games, and redeem winnings for cash. Players say that is online casino gambling in states that never licensed it, offered under a sweepstakes label that makes it look legal. Many states let a person recover money they lost to gambling that was not authorized where they live, and state consumer protection laws reach a business that sells an unlawful service as a lawful one. Maginnis Howard is investigating how RealPrize sells and markets its coin packages, how it handles cancellations and redemptions, and what players have lost.

The law

Many states allow a person to recover money they lost to gambling that was never licensed or authorized in their state. Separately, state consumer protection laws reach a business that markets a service as lawful when it is not — including, we believe, a business that builds a two-currency structure for the purpose of avoiding the word "gambling" while running a casino. Players who had trouble stopping recurring charges may have an additional claim. Whether a claim is available, and what can be recovered, depends on the state where the player lives — some states allow recovery of the full amount lost, and some allow more.

What you could recover

Depending on the state where you live, you may be able to recover the money you lost — in some states the full amount, and in some states more than that. State consumer protection laws may add damages set by law, and can require the company to return money it took unlawfully, pay attorney fees, and change how it operates.

How your claim would be handled

Claims like this are handled as individual arbitration cases — private proceedings, no courtroom. For Realplay Tech Inc. (RealPrize), cases are typically administered through JAMS.

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Frequently asked questions

What is this investigation about?

RealPrize sells coin packages for real money and lets players redeem winnings for cash prizes. We are investigating whether that is unlicensed online casino gambling in states that never authorized it, and whether the way it is marketed misleads players about its legality.

RealPrize says it is not real money gambling. Doesn't that settle it?

No. A company's description of its own product does not decide whether a law applies to it. Most states ask what the business actually does — whether a player risks money on a game of chance for the possibility of winning something of value. We believe the sweepstakes label is a structure built to avoid that conclusion, not a reason it does not apply.

I never won anything. Do I still have a claim?

Possibly, and in many states that is the stronger position. Loss recovery is about what you lost, not what you won. Tell us what you paid in.

What if I had trouble cancelling or stopping charges?

Tell us. Difficulty cancelling a recurring charge, or being charged after you tried to stop, can be a separate claim in its own right, independent of the gambling question. It is one of the things we ask about.

Is my state covered?

That depends. RealPrize does not operate in every state, and the states that allow recovery of gambling losses are not the same list. We confirm your state with you as the first step of reviewing your claim.

What does this cost me?

Nothing to have your situation reviewed, and no fee unless we recover money for you.

What clients say

The entire process with Maginnis Howard was effortless. All our communication was by email and only a few phone calls. Any calls or emails were answered very promptly. I would like to thank Ian and Maginnis Howard. I will highly recommend any dispute that includes an Arbitration Agreement, there could no be a better Firm to represent you!
— Daniel B.
Ian is an excellent communicator who knows how to work with these companies to obtain a resolution and get you the best settlement offer possible. I highly recommend Ian and the Maginnis Howard law firm for anyone navigating the arbitration process.
— Cheille H.
I'm very grateful for his representation and the result we achieved. If you're facing arbitration and feel overwhelmed or unsure of your rights, I highly recommend Ian Vance and Maginnis Howard. They know how to handle these cases and fight for their clients.
— Ryan Z.

unlawfulcharges.com is operated by Maginnis Howard, a consumer-protection law firm.