By Kelsey Mellan
On March 17, 2017, the Fourth Circuit issued a published opinion in Mason v. Machine Zone, Inc. a civil appeal of the district court’s dismissal of a Loss Recovery Statute claim. Plaintiff Mia Mason filed a class action complaint against Machine Zone, Inc. (“Machine Zone”), the developer of a mobile game entitled “Game of War: Fire Age” (“Game of War”). Mason alleged that she lost money participating in an unlawful “game device” – a virtual wheel that makes up a substantial part of Game of War. The district court dismissed Mason’s class action under FRCP 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim. The Fourth Circuit subsequently affirmed the district court’s decision.
Facts & Procedural History
Machine Zone developed and operates Game of War, a popular video game that can be downloaded for free on mobile devices. Game of War is a strategy game in which players build virtual towns and armies, and “battle” each other in a virtual world. While it is free to play the game, players can purchase virtual “gold” at prices ranging from $4.99 to $99.99. Players can use this gold to “improve their virtual towns” and to obtain virtual “chips” for use during the Game of War “casino.” This virtual casino is a game of chance in which players can use their virtual chips for an opportunity to obtain prices for use within the game by “spinning” a virtual wheel – a completely randomized feature of the game. The first time a player enters Game of War, he or she is entitled to one free spin of the wheel. However, after the player uses this free spin, must use chips to pay for each additional spin. If a player doesn’t have enough chips to spin, the player must use virtual gold to obtain more chips.
Players who spin the wheel have no control over the outcome of the spin and, thus, no skill on the part of the player influence what the outcome will be. Players obtain prizes from spinning the wheel. If a player wins enough prizes he or she may want to sell his or her account on “secondary markets” for real money. However, this sale on secondary markets, such as Amazon, would violate Machine Zone’s terms of service.
Mason started playing Game of War on her cell phone in early 2014. After using her complimentary spin of the virtual wheel, Mason began purchasing virtual gold in order to obtain more chips to continue spinning the wheel to earn prizes. Between early 2014 and January 2015, Mason spent over $100 to participate in the casino.
Mason filed a class action in the District of Maryland under Maryland’s Loss Recovery Statute. She alleged that she lost money playing an unlawful “game device” and sought “full disgorgement and restitution of any money [Machine Zone] has won” from Mason and similarly situated Maryland residents. The district court determined that Mason failed to state a claim under the Loss Recovery Statute because “she did not lose money” in the virtual casino – and thus, the court dismissed Mason’s complaint.
Plaintiff-Appellant’s Claim Under Maryland’s Loss Recovery Statute
Mason argues that the district court erred in dismissing her class action under FRCP Rule 12(b)(6) because she lost money while playing in the virtual casino – which she claims is an unlawful “game device” under the Loss Recovery Statute. The Fourth Circuit reviewed the district court’s dismissal de novo, accepting Mason’s well-plead allegation as true and drawing all reasonable inferences in her favor.
Maryland’s Loss Recovery Statute states “a person who loses money at a [prohibited] gaming device…may recover the money as if it were a common debt.” The statute defines gaming device as “a game or device which money or any other thing or consideration of value is bet, wagered, or gambled,” and includes a “wheel of fortune.” Pursuant to the Maryland state case, F.A.C.E. Trading, Inc. v. Todd, the Fourth Circuit was required to interpret Maryland’s gambling statutes in a manner that “gives validity not only to the word, but to the spirit of the law. For the purposes of this appeal, the Fourth Circuit assumed that the virtual casino was a prohibited “gaming device” and agreed with the district court that Mason did not lose any money when spinning the wheel in the virtual casino. Therefore, she failed to satisfy a required element for stating a claim under the Loss Recovery Statute.
In deciding whether the loss of virtual money fell under the Loss Recovery Statute, the Fourth Circuit looked to Cates v. State, a Maryland case which noted that the predecessor to the Loss Recovery Statute encompassed a public policy “not to help one who loses at gambling, but to discourage illegal gambling by putting the winner on notice that the courts will force him to disgorge his winnings.” In the case of Game of War, Machine Zone did not “win” any money. Rather, Mason participated in the virtual casino by “spinning” the virtual wheel where no money was at stake – only virtual prizes and chips. Thus, Mason could not have lost or won money as a result of her participation in the virtual activity. Moreover, the Fourth Circuit determined that the fact that Mason could sell her account on “secondary markets” was irrelevant – as the entire account would be sold, not just the virtual prizes or chips. Thus, the Fourth Circuit rejected Mason’s contention that the existence of a secondary market showed that she lost money as a result of her participation in Game of War’s virtual casino.
Disposition
Accordingly, the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s conclusion that Mason did not “lose money” within the meaning of the Loss Recovery Statute as a result of her participation in the Game of War casino.
