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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Rob Davies

‘No way out’: how video games use tricks from gambling to attract big spenders

Zynga Video Game
Gambling
Gambling Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

One evening in April, Carrie* sat down and wrote a suicide note to Zynga, the maker of mobile phone games such as Farmville and Words With Friends.

Carrie had been spending uncontrollably on one of Zynga’s less well-known apps, Wizard of Oz Slots, a game that mimics casino slot machines but with no payout available.

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