Big fish Magic Slots is an online slot game that offers an exciting and immersive experience for players. The game features a colorful underwater theme, with various sea creatures and symbols that enhance the overall gaming experience. The main attraction of Big Fish Magic Slots is its progressive jackpot feature. This means that every time a player spins the reels, a portion of their bet goes towards the progressive jackpot pool. This jackpot can grow to significant amounts, offering players the chance to win big. The game also features a range of bonus features, including free spins, wild symbols, and scatter symbols.
In Washington state — where Big Fish Games is located — slot machines are banned outright. But Washingtonians can download a smartphone game that offers would-be gamblers the chance to spend money on an experience nearly identical to that of an in-person slot machine, only without any chance of actually winning money.
While many video games have added premium features in recent years, including loot boxes a mechanism to pay small, fixed fees for chances to win in-game prizes that has attracted the ire of some lawmakers no other type of game appears to allow players to lose so much credit so quickly and be constantly encouraged to spend more. Basically, what I would do to get from nothing to riches is low bet on scatter rooms until I had enough money to bet 1 or 2 million a spin on 25 line rooms and hopefully go from there.
The game also features a range of bonus features, including free spins, wild symbols, and scatter symbols. These bonus features can help players increase their winnings and add an extra level of excitement to the game. In terms of gameplay, Big Fish Magic Slots is easy to understand and play.
Addicted to losing: How casino-like apps have drained people of millions
NBC News spoke to 21 people who said they were hooked on casino-style apps and had spent significant sums of money. The industry is almost entirely unregulated.
Stephanie Kubo / for NBC News Sept. 14, 2020, 10:00 AM UTCShellz, 37, a nurse from Houston, spends at least two hours a day with her husband playing a casino-style smartphone game called Jackpot Magic.
The app offers a variety of typical casino games to play, including their favorite, called Reel Rivals, a game in which players accrue points by playing a virtual slot machine. As in a real casino, players exchange money for coins to bet.
Unlike in a real casino, there is no way to win money back or earn a payout on coins.
But that has not stopped Shellz and her husband from spending about $150,000 in the game in just two years. She asked to use her in-game username so her family does not find out how much money they have spent on the game.
"We lie in bed next to each other, we have two tablets, two phones and a computer and all these apps spinning Reel Rivals at the same time," she said. "We normalize it with each other."
Jackpot Magic is an app made by Big Fish Games of Seattle, one of the leaders in an industry of "free-to-play" social games into which some people have plowed thousands of dollars. Big Fish Games also operates a similar app, Big Fish Casino. Both are labeled as video games, which allows the company and others like it to skirt the tightly regulated U.S. gambling market.
But unlike the gambling market, apps like Jackpot Magic and Big Fish Casino are under little oversight to determine whether they are fair or whether their business practices are predatory.
NBC News spoke to 21 people, including Shellz and her husband, who said they were hooked on the casino-style games and had spent significant sums of money. They described feelings of helplessness and wanting to quit but found themselves addicted to the games and tempted by the company's aggressive marketing tactics.
Most of the 21 players wished to remain anonymous, as they were ashamed of their addictions and did not want their loved ones to find out about their behavior.
A 42-year-old Pennsylvania woman said she felt saddened that she spent $40,000 on Big Fish Casino while working as an addiction counselor.
"The whole time I was working as an addiction counselor, I was addicted to gambling and with no hope of winning any money back," she said.
Big Fish Games did not make anyone available for an interview, nor did the company respond to detailed questions. The company has said in previous court filings that only a fraction of the game's players actually spend money.
In a response to NBC News' inquiries, the company issued a statement saying its games are not gambling and should not be regulated as such.
"These games are not gambling because, among other reasons, they offer no opportunity for players to win money or anything of value," the statement said in part.
"Our games are offered for free purely for entertainment, with an opportunity for customers to spend money within the game to enhance their gameplay experience," it said. "The vast majority of Big Fish Casino and Jackpot Magic Slots customers play without ever paying any money. No court has yet considered all of the facts relating to how these games operate."
Players have had some recourse in recent months thanks to successful lawsuits.
After a long legal battle, 2 million players, including Shellz and her husband, will be eligible to get a small part of their losses back — about 20 percent for those who lost $10,000 to $100,000.
The money will come in a $155 million class-action settlement, announced at the end of July, that will cover two major lawsuits filed against Big Fish Games; its former owner, Churchill Downs; and its current Australian parent company, Aristocrat Leisure, alleging that they were operating "unlawful gambling devices."
The preliminary agreement was recently approved by a federal judge in Tacoma, Washington. Churchill Downs and Aristocrat Leisure both declined to comment on the settlement. Aristocrat Leisure released a public statement in May outlining the general contours of the settlement, but it has not said anything further.
While Big Fish Games admits no wrongdoing, it has agreed to implement "addiction-related resources" and a "self-exclusion policy" that would allow players who feel out of control to opt in to be blacklisted from playing the game.
Big Fish Games also declined to comment on the settlement.
While some players are happy to recoup some of their losses, gambling addiction experts and some lawmakers say it does not go far enough to help those whose lives have spiraled out of control after they got hooked on social casino games. They call for further regulation of the industry.
"What we would have welcomed as part of this settlement as a wake-up call for the industry is a change in practices," said Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
"I think their model is so lucrative and in some ways so aggressive that they're doubling down, and it's going to do a lot more harm. I think it's going to eventually be reined in, but it appears they are prioritizing short-term profit over long-term sustainability and responsibility," Whyte said.
The game features a standard five-reel, three-row layout with 25 paylines. Players can choose their bet amount and adjust the number of active paylines to suit their preferences. One of the highlights of Big Fish Magic Slots is its stunning graphics and animations. The underwater theme is beautifully portrayed, with vibrant colors and detailed symbols. The game also features a catchy soundtrack that adds to the overall gaming experience. Big Fish Magic Slots is available to play on both desktop and mobile devices, allowing players to enjoy the game wherever they are. The game is optimized for both iOS and Android devices, ensuring smooth gameplay and high-quality graphics. Overall, Big Fish Magic Slots offers an entertaining and rewarding gaming experience. Whether you're a casual player or a seasoned slot enthusiast, this game has something to offer. With its progressive jackpot feature, bonus rounds, and immersive underwater theme, it's no wonder that Big Fish Magic Slots is a popular choice among slot game enthusiasts..
Reviews for "The Magic of Big Fish Magic Slots"
1. John Doe - 1 star
I was extremely disappointed with "Big Fish Magic Slots". The game was advertised as being exciting and filled with big wins, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The payouts were extremely low, and the bonus rounds were few and far between. Additionally, the graphics and animations were outdated, making the gameplay dull and unappealing. I would not recommend wasting your time or money on this game.
2. Jane Smith - 2 stars
I was expecting a thrilling and immersive experience when I downloaded "Big Fish Magic Slots", but it fell short of my expectations. The game felt repetitive and lacked any unique features that would set it apart from other slot games. The visuals were mediocre, and the sound effects were irritating after a while. Overall, I found the game to be quite boring and not worth the hype it received.
3. Amanda Johnson - 2 stars
"Big Fish Magic Slots" was a letdown for me. The game seemed promising with its magical theme, but the gameplay was lackluster. The payouts were meager, and it felt like the odds were stacked against the players. I also noticed some technical issues, such as frequent lag and freezing, which disrupted the flow of the game. I was hoping for a more exhilarating experience, but unfortunately, this game didn't deliver.
4. Mark Thompson - 1 star
I was highly dissatisfied with "Big Fish Magic Slots". The game quickly lost its appeal as the repetitive nature of the slot spins became apparent. The odds of winning were incredibly low, and the bonuses were infrequent and underwhelming. The lackluster graphics and outdated design only added to my disappointment. This game is definitely not worth the download or the time invested in it.