Recommendation

Avoid

Overall Summary

Scam

Why we think so

papayagaming.com, operating as Papaya Gaming, offers skill-based real money tournaments with popular games like Solitaire Cash and Bubble Cash. Despite having about 18,600 monthly visits and using solid infrastructure from Amazon and Google, it faces significant legal and user trust issues. Numerous complaints allege unfair practices, unauthorized charges, and game rigging with bots rather than real opponents. These claims led to a $15 million class action settlement and regulatory cease-and-desist orders, notably from Michigan authorities.

Confidence Score

18%

Risk Insights

⚠️

High Legal Risk and Consumer Complaints

$15 million class action settlement unresolved before 2025.

Michigan regulators issued cease-and-desist for illegal gambling.

Widespread user reports of payout refusals and rigged games.

🛡️

Strong Technical Setup

Uses respected hosting providers Amazon and Google Cloud.

Valid SSL certificates and secure DNS setup.

No automated scam blacklists or phishing alerts detected.

Contradictory Signals

While the domain and hosting setup are professional, the business practices behind the site are subject to serious legal and consumer trust issues.

Signal A: Legitimate technical infrastructure and domain age

Signal B: Numerous complaints and legal rulings against fraudulent and deceptive practices

Category Scores

Identity 45/100

Reputation 10/100

Technical 75/100

Content 20/100

Legal 15/100

Business Validity 10/100

Red Flags & Warnings

Class action settlement and lawsuits for deceptive practices and use of bots confirm serious business model issues.
Regulatory cease-and-desist orders indicate illegal gambling operations in some jurisdictions.
Many user complaints about payout denial, unfair play, and unauthorized charges highlight poor customer treatment.

🔎 Detailed Checks & Analysis

Domain Age and Registrar Check

Score: 80/100

Passed

"Domain is over 9 years old and uses a respected domain registrar with abuse reporting channels."

Reason: Registered since 2016 with Amazon Registrar, indicating a longstanding domain operated through a reputable registrar.

Technical Infrastructure and Security

Score: 70/100

Passed

"Technical setup is sound, using paid services and standard security protocols like HTTPS."

Reason: Uses major providers like Amazon and Google Cloud with valid SSL certificates, ensuring secure and reliable hosting.

Traffic and Engagement Metrics

Score: 30/100

Failed

"Traffic data suggest weak real user engagement and possibly low satisfaction."

Reason: Monthly visits are low (~18.6K) with an extremely high bounce rate (~97%), indicating poor user engagement and low trust.

User Reviews and Reputation

Score: 10/100

Failed

"Reputation is significantly damaged by user complaints and legal actions."

Reason: Numerous complaints allege loss of funds, rigged games, and poor customer service with payout refusals.

Legal and Regulatory Status

Score: 20/100

Failed

"Legal challenges and regulatory actions indicate serious compliance and ethical issues."

Reason: Subject of multiple lawsuits, including a $15 million settlement, and received a cease-and-desist order from Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Blacklist and Scam Watch

Score: 60/100

Passed

"Absence of blacklist flags but this does not imply legitimacy given user and legal issues."

Reason: No matches found on crypto scam blacklists or Google Safe Browsing; no known automated scam blacklists triggered.

Your Next Steps

1

Avoid depositing money or engaging financially with papayagaming.com games due to high fraud risk.
2

Check for eligibility and consider claiming compensation from the $15 million settlement if you lost money.
3

Report any fraudulent transactions linked to this entity to your financial institutions.
4

Monitor official updates from regulatory authorities regarding Papaya Gaming.
5

Research alternative, regulated gaming platforms with transparent practices before participating in such games.

Evidence & Citations

Papaya Gaming $15M False Advertising Class Action Settlement
Details the $15 million settlement related to deceptive practices and use of bots.
Are there reports of users losing money via papayagaming.com?
User complaints of payout issues, unauthorized charges, and rigged gameplay.
Michigan gambling regulator sends cease-and-desist to Papaya Gaming
Regulatory action against Papaya Gaming for unlicensed gambling activities.
Technical website technologies used by papayagaming.com
Evidence of reputable hosting, email, and security infrastructure.
No trademark conflicts found for papayagaming.com
No trademark conflicts detected that would indicate impersonation.

🕵🏻 Keep investigating

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