Bloomberg reported that Take-two faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly selling gambling-related goods to minors through its "NBA2K" series of games. The lawsuit was originally filed in Winnibergo County Circuit Court on Jan. 11 and was subsequently transferred to northern Illinois District Court on Feb. 25. The plaintiffs seek damages of at least $5 million.
According to Take-two's latest annual report, one of its most recent basketball games, NBA 2K21, sold more than 10 million copies last year, with about 2 million people playing the game every day. The game is priced at $59.99, and players can spend extra money on in-game currency to upgrade their costumes, train self-built players or component fantasy teams, etc.
The lawsuit filed by the minor's representative and her guardian alleges that these unboxing behaviors put players psychologically at a distance from real-life game spending, and that such transactions are particularly attractive to minors who may not understand the impact of virtual currencies in the real world. Also, according to the case, these transactions were usually made with the credit card of the parents, while minors often did not know that what they purchased was non-refundable.
The prosecution alleges that Take-two's unfair, deceptive and unlawful conduct, including illegal gambling, has caused deception, misleading and harm to consumers. A take-Two spokesperson currently declined to comment.
In recent years, unpacking has been controversial in the gaming industry, with opponents saying that in-game purchases could equate to gambling, tempting children to over-consume. For some games, in-game purchases are also a huge source of revenue for related companies. NBA 2K21 is one of the largest contributors to Take-Two's digital delivery net bookings, totaling $3.1 billion in fiscal 2021.