Slots – House of Fun - Pacific Interactive Ltd

This review of Slots – House of Fun was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 26 February 2014.

About the app

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

ACCM review

This review of Slots – House of Fun 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

Level 1-3

App description

This is a game of chance – a series of simulated gambling slot machines.

Reviewers comments

Within this game the player is presented with a number of poker-machine style “slot” games. Initially, only one game is unlocked, called Africa.  The player begins with an allocation of virtual coins and places bets and then “spins”.  Tapping the [i] icon will bring up game rules and an outline of winning combinations of symbols. The player can select how many lines to bet on (initially up to 25) and the size of the bet (initially up to 5). The default number of lines is the highest available for that game. When the player taps the “Spin” button, the symbols spin around, similar to a real Poker machine. When they stop, any winnings are calculated by the app and added to the player’s total. The winning line/s is/are highlighted. Stars also accumulate on each spin according to the size of the bet – the larger the bet, the more stars. As stars accumulate, the player moves up levels, extra coins are awarded and additional game machines may be unlocked. Many game machines have a higher maximum number of lines per spin and a higher maximum bet amount. From time to time, “Free Spins” may be awarded.  Additional free coins can be claimed every 3 hours.

A possible learning benefit could be that the player may realise that betting on a large number of lines per spin and placing large bets can rapidly decrease their total, to the point where they may run out of coins. However, the chances of spinning a winning combination of symbols is also much higher when more lines are selected and the player moves up levels more quickly – the player may feel this is more important.   

In App purchasing

Players may be asked to purchase a special “deal” to unlock a game and receive extra coins. Purchasing extra “coins” can be by debit card, credit card and gift card (i.e. Google Play card). Purchase amounts range from US$2.99 to US$99.99 – it is not immediately apparent that purchase amounts are in USD. The process to purchase coins requires moving through 3 screens before entering either card/debit card details or gift card number. Where Google Play credit already exists, the Google Account password is requested. Parents should be aware that if they enter the password, the player can make more than one purchase. The password remains valid for 30 minutes to continue purchasing, even after the game has been exited and resumed.

Online information

Players who log in to Facebook receive bonus coins. Players can invite their friends to play with them and send them gifts of free coins and spins. When a player logs in to Facebook the app receives their public profile and friend list. There does not appear to be a Leaderboard. Within the Settings section, the player’s first name and profile photo can be seen. There is an option there to log out of Facebook.

Gambling

This is a simulated gambling game. The default bet is the highest number of lines available for that game and must be adjusted downwards by the player. It is possible that simulated gambling apps inflate the odds of spinning a winning combination, when compared to a real casino machine or even a gambling app which uses real money. This could lead to the player overestimating their luck in this activity. 

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

Simulated gambling as described above.

Other

Use of substances:
In one of the games, one of the symbols is a bottle of champagne with two glasses.

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