GSN Casino - GSN

This review of GSN Casino was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 2 April 2014.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of GSN Casino contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

The game does not involve levels, and players merely play until their number of tokens and in-game currency runs out.

App description

This is a casino-style game with various gambling games. The game has a wide variet of slot machines to play through, as well as activites such as Bingo, Poker and Blackjack. The objective of the game is to earn more money. There are limited skills needed, as it is quite a simple button-push game and the chances of winning or losing is largely chance-based.

Reviewers comments

On the home screen page, the games listed include multiple Slot machines, Video Bingo, Outlaw Video Poker, and High Stakes Blackjack.  There are in-app purchasing with this game, although guest players start with 12,500 in coins. With the slot machines, you can change the amount that you bet per line with each spin. When a player wins, there are sound effects of coins and players can visually see money being added to thier account. There is also an 'Auto' setting which gives players the option to spin automatically for a set number of times(between 5 and 50) without needing to click.

With Video Bingo, players are asked to choose a number of cards to play with and set an amount of money to bet per card. When the game begins, balls are automatically generated with numbers on them (e.g. B27, G60, etc). Players check whether these numbers are included on the bingo card they have been given and click them to highlight them. The game then presents a ‘Buy now!’ option to buy more balls for money – if more balls are not purchased at this stage, the game will end and the player will lose. 

With Video Poker, players tap the Deal button to begin a new hand. Five cards are dealt, and a player may select which ones to hold and which to change, before dealing again. Players may place bets, and if they receive a good hand (such as a pair of Kings, etc), they are given the option to double their winnings by playing a high card draw. If players win this, they gain 200 coins; if they lose, they have 200 coins detracted from their bank account.

With the Blackjack game, players are asked to place 3 bets of varying amounts. Cards are then automatically dealt, and the game states whether the Dealer or player has won. You are also given the option to Hit or Stand when your initial cards produce a good hand.

This app carries considerable risk to children due to the substantial amount of simulated gambling involved. The app covers multiple casino-based games, encouraging in-game spending and repetitive gambling. There is limited learning potential as the games are very simplistic, and are largely played by pressing a ‘play/deal’ button – they do not involve much strategy at all, and are mostly chance-driven. 

In App purchasing

There is in-app purchasing in relation to collecting more casino tokens – this ranges from $1.93 to purchase 15,000 tokens (plus 11,250 bonus tokens) up to $96.88 to purchase 750,000 tokens (plus 562,000 bonus tokens). The game also advertises sales and discounts related to their in-game purchasing offers (e.g. discussing a 75% off sale regarding their coin packages).

Online information

Players are able to log in via Facebook, and ‘like’ the app’s page. However, they are not encouraged to trade tokens or to share information.  

Gambling

This is a simulated casino game, focusing on several specific gambling games. See Reviewer’s Comments for more detail.

Advertising and product placement

N/A.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

The game encourages realistic simulated gambling behaviours.

Other

N/A.

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