A US resident has plead guilty to stealing $4.8 million from his employer over the course of seven years, of which he spent more than a million dollars playing Game of War on his smartphone.
Kevin Lee Co embezzeled the money from his employer, Holt California, to go on a spending spree that included the usual cliche of items: luxury cars, sports season tickets, plastic surgery, and the less cliched, one million dollars of in-game items, troops and anything else you can spend cash on in Game of War, according to Ars Technica.
Game of War is one of the top-grossing games in the world (it’s not entirely hard to see why with situations such as this) and was reportedly taking $1 million each day last year, though not just from one person. While reports of large in-app and in-game bills aren’t exactly new, this case is at the extreme end of the spectrum. The game has been highly cited as a potential moneypit for anyone wanting to make serious progress, however.
This particular game uses a system of endless upgrades, which require either special items to complete them more quickly or an awful lot of patience, to keep players invested. Starting out is easy, but staying competitive with other players in the game without spending money becomes harder as time progresses. It also doesn’t help that some of those items are expendable – like troops – so they can be lost as quickly as they’re purchased, or indeed, while you’re not even playing.
Co is now looking at up to 20 years in prison for taking and spending the money. Remember folks, it’s not just gambling that can get you hooked.
Related: Gears of War 4 review
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Do you play Game of War? Ever been hit with an unexpected bill as a result of mobile gaming? Let us know in the comments below!
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.