Eligible Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo users in six states can now choose a cash payment worth 23% of their net spending under a proposed class-action settlement, rather than accept an automatic award of in-platform Gold Coins. The cash-election deadline is Nov. 30, and the settlement still requires court approval at a Dec. 31 hearing.
The settlement covers people who spent money on either platform while in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey or Massachusetts, according to OpenClassActions. Net spending generally means deposits or purchases less redeemed prizes or winnings. The eventual sums may be affected by fees and costs, and will not be final until the court approval process is complete.
Those who do not actively elect cash are set to receive Gold Coins. The coins are non-redeemable and non-transferable, carry no cash value and can be used in free-to-play games. Players making an online cash election need the Settlement Claim ID in their notice; paper forms require account and contact details, associated email addresses and a signature. Paper forms must be postmarked by Nov. 30, and some claims may require identity verification.
Yellow Social Interactive, the operator of Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo, withdrew Pulsz from Alabama, New Jersey and Tennessee. Accounts there are treated as dormant and, for members awarded Gold Coins, can be reopened solely to use those coins for at least 60 days. They cannot receive Sweep Coins or enter sweepstakes games; after 60 days of inactivity, remaining Gold Coins may be closed with the account.
The agreement resolves allegations that virtual-currency purchases on the platforms constituted illegal gambling under certain state laws. It does not include a court finding that either game violated the law or establish precedent on whether sweepstakes casinos constitute gambling. Yellow Social Interactive has denied wrongdoing throughout the case.
Class members who stay in the settlement release claims against Yellow Social Interactive related to the Pulsz games, including claims that might otherwise go to arbitration. They must opt out by Nov. 30 if they wish to preserve those claims. Separate cases against Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon are unaffected, and those companies are not parties to this settlement.
The new six-state deal is distinct from a Kentucky-only Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo settlement reported in 2023. In that case, Yellow Social Interactive agreed to pay $1.32 million and make changes to the games, while denying wrongdoing; claims closed on Jan. 29, 2024. The current settlement is a negotiated resolution of the newer dispute, with its terms due for review on Dec. 31.
