Summary
A 17-year-old reportedly spent $25,000 onMonopoly GOin-app purchases. While the game itself is free, many users have found themselves spending a worrying amount on the game to unlock rewards and progress quicker than they can without buying anything. These microtransactions can add up quickly, as the parents of oneMonopoly GOplayer have learned all too well.
The teenager is far from the first person to spend too much money on the app. One userclaimed they spent $1,000 inMonopoly GObefore finally deleting it. That’s already an impressive amount of cash for a free-to-play title, but it’s less than 5% of what one unlucky family just discovered they’ve unwittingly sunk into it.
In a now-deleted post, a Reddit user claimed their 17-year-old step-daughterspent $25,000 on 368Monopoly GOpurchasesvia the App Store. The stepparent came to Reddit looking for advice on how to handle the issue, but the news doesn’t look good for them. Many users in the comments saidMonopoly GO’s terms of service hold users liable for all purchases, even if they’re unintentional. That’s not uncommon for freemium games; encouraging microtransactions is part of howPokemon TCG Pocketmade $208 millionin revenue in its first month.
In-Game Microtransactions Are an Ongoing Controversy
A teenager spending tens of thousands inMonopoly GOisn’t the first time in-game purchases have come under fire. In 2023, anNBA 2Kplayer filed a class-action lawsuitagainst Take-Two Interactive for its microtransaction model, and the company settled a similar lawsuit the prior year. This particularMonopoly GOcase won’t likely go to court, but it does add to the long list of instances where people have gotten angry over in-app spending.
It’s easy to see why the industry relies on microtransactions. They’re remarkably profitable –Diablo 4players spent over $150 millionon them, collectively – and it’s easier to encourage someone to spend a few dollars at a time instead of making an equivalent purchase all at once. That same characteristic is why many gamers are less enthusiastic about them. Microtransaction models can feel misleading, causing people to spend much more than they otherwise would.
Unfortunately, this Reddit user may be unable to get their money back. For everyone else, though, it’s a good lesson in how easy it is to spend a lot of cash inMonopoly GOand similar games.
