Solitaire Clash

TikTok influencer posts for the mobile game Solitaire Clash show TikTokers seemingly racking up lots of cash in real time.

In these sponsored posts (several of which lack proper ad disclosures), influencers claim Solitaire Clash is “a skill-based real cash game” where you can win “spending money” to buy things you need, like baby clothes or Christmas gifts.

The only problem? In each of the posts, despite what the influencers may be saying, the fine print on the screen reveals that they’re actually winning an in-game currency called “Bonus Cash,” not real cash. And Bonus Cash cannot be withdrawn and isn’t redeemable for real money.

The sponsored posts also don’t explain another key fact, namely that there are two ways to play Solitaire Clash: users can either play for free, in which case they can only earn virtual rewards like Bonus Cash, or they can pay to play in cash competitions where they try to win real money prizes.

And while players can apply Bonus Cash winnings toward entry fees for cash games, which reportedly range in price from $1 to $55, Solitaire Clash applies a 9-to-1 ratio of real money to Bonus Cash to enter cash competitions – meaning for every 10 cents you spend to join a cash competition, only 1 cent can come from Bonus Cash. In addition, using Bonus Cash to play cash games limits any real cash winnings you may receive.

None of this is disclosed in the TikTok influencer posts either, which combine for more than 200,000 views.

And that’s not all.

The game’s terms also state that if you have won real cash, in order to withdraw your money, you must have a minimum of $5 in your account, and that withdrawal requests will result in losing all your Bonus Cash and could take up to 15 days just to process.

And, of course, in order to withdraw any money, you first need to win some, and according to some consumer reviews on the Apple App Store, your chances of winning real money are somewhere between “impossible” and “slim.” Even those who reportedly have won money playing Solitaire Clash have complained about issues withdrawing their winnings.

Of note, the company’s cash games are not available in Indiana, Maine, Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina, South Dakota and Vermont (as well as U.S. territories including Puerto Rico). This may be because of state-specific laws and regulations regarding gaming, online cash competitions, prize-entry tournaments or even gambling, which is how the game is described on the Apple App Store.

Also of interest is the fact that Avia, the game’s developer, is currently facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it falsely represents that users play games of skill against real people for money when they are actually playing games of chance against computer bots in “an unapproved gambling enterprise.” Solitaire Clash is one of the games named in the complaint.

Finally, it’s worth noting that you may see similar TikTok influencer ads for games like Solitaire Infinite that claim that if you haven’t made money with solitaire games, you’re playing the “wrong one.” But Solitaire Infinite is also owned by Avia.

Company responds

In response to a TINA.org request for comment, a spokesperson for Avia said the company has “clear guidance on our website, in-game Terms & Conditions, and FAQs explaining how Bonus Cash operates.”

The Avia spokesperson said the game is not a gambling app and does not use bots. The spokesperson did not respond to a question regarding the undisclosed TikTok ads.

The bottom line

When a company claims you can make money quickly and easily, it’s best to be skeptical. Before embarking on any purported money-making opportunity, always do your own research and consider what consumers may have to say on a variety of third-party review sites.

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