By Kathy Kristof • Published on July 24th, 2023 • Last updated on August 21st, 2024
Basics:
Solitaire Cash promises to pay for playing, but is really a gambling app and the odds are never in your favor
Expected pay: none
Husl$core: $
Commissions & fees: fees to cash out
Where: Nationwide
Requirements: 18 or older; smart phone
Solitaire Cash
Solitaire Cash says you can win money playing classic solitaire games against other players, who are at your level. It also promises to let you gain “coins” for watching advertisem*nts. But reviewers say it does neither.
How it works
If you’re 18 or older, you can download Solitaire Cash on your cell phone. Don’t. Here’s why.
This game purports to let you earn real money playing solitaire against other players. However, to enter a “cash tournament,” you need to pay an entry fee. You’ll do that with a credit card. Solitaire Cash’s developer — Papaya Gaming — says in its terms that it can charge that card, up to the card’s limits, for not only the entry fee but for other “fees with or without notice to you.”
What if you don’t want to pay to play? Then you’re a non-cash player and all of the “bonuses” and rewards you earn within the game are “virtual currency” that have no real world value. So you only “earn cash” if you pay cash.
Winning and losing
Let’s say that you’re a solitaire ace and do want to enter a cash contest for the chance to win “real money,” as the game promises. So you pay the fee. But is the game going to be played fairly? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s what it says in Papaya Gaming’s terms:
“Papaya does not guarantee that any competitions you participate in will be fair or that other players will not cheat in such games.”
Users maintain that not only goes the game cheat, it can crash when they’re winning and cause them to lose. Users suspect that the cheating is done by the developer, not other players.
Cashing out
Theoretically, if you put cash into the system and you win, you should be able to cash out. But Papaya Gaming has a whole bunch of ways to make that difficult. For instance, the site says it has the right to change “any method for calculating the balance of or evaluating your funds.” It also can require a minimum balance to withdraw — and can change that minimum balance at any time.
If you want to withdraw, you will be required to submit your name, permanent residential address; a copy of a government ID, your phone number and your payment information. And Papaya reserves the right to process withdrawals solely via payment methods supported by the site, which may incur additional fees or commissions. You, not the site, are responsible for paying all the fees.
There are also fees imposed by Papaya when you cash out. And those fees can change at any time.
If that wasn’t enough, users say the cash-out button just doesn’t work.
Closing accounts
The app also has the right to close your account at any time for any reason. And, if it disables your account, any money you have in the system is seized by Papaya.
If you don’t play any games for six months, the site has the right to charge you an inactivity fee.
Terrible reviews
Sometimes, when a site’s terms sound ominous, we find out that the worst-case scenarios that were spelled out never happen. However, users of Solitaire Cash say they have experienced all of the bad things warned of in the terms — cheating; changing rules in the middle of a game; failing to credit accounts promised amounts; high withdrawal thresholds; and inability to withdraw at all.
Recommendations
If you love to play Solitaire, there are plenty of free apps that will allow you to play. If you want to compete against other players, you can download this app, but don’t give them your credit card number.
If you want to actually earn money playing games, you may want to check out StartPlaying or Outschool. StartPlaying is a forum for role-playing games that enlists game-enthusiasts to be “gamemasters,” and organize games around a theme of their own choosing. Outschool is a learning site that allows freelance teachers to set suggest classes and workshops that can involve everything from playing Legos to exploring video games.
Or take the SideHusl Quiz and find a gig that suits the things you like to do.
What their users say (from the Apple App store)
There are no free games after the first 3, and you can’t ever cash out the full amount you deposited on the app. When you request a deposit of what you have earned, you can only deposit whatever is left of what you have earned, minus fees. Can’t ever cash out what you win. So, no, you can’t really earn cash from playing.
As you play, you think you are winning cash. But when it comes time to cash in, you find out that isn’t the case. You only win on money you have deposited, not on what you have won by beating the game. I was also charged a fee when I cashed out.
(from Google Play)
A lot of aspects of this game does not work, maybe intentionally. The App store where you look at ads for credit doesn’t provide you with the credit after you look at the ads. Pop ups asking you to rate the game for credit also does not provide the promised credit. A waste of my valuable time. Uninstalling……
Played yesterday first time. Game today does not work. Cannot connect to Facebook. They offer a .99 cent one time deal. Unable to purchase. Other option was to get 500 coins by watching ad. Watched several ads no coins given. Sorry game seems like a scam. They make money on ads watched.
Cheated
At times I win, but mostly I seem to lose. Just when I’m thinking I am getting better & may be winning the game, seem to blow me out the water. I loose almost everything, then get discouraged so I get rid of the app because I feel cheated. Most of these game does cheat you or lie to you. Also when you do make a good win they crash your game so U end up with nothing but your lost time, days & hours. Not considering giving back for your energy
Fixed against you. After a bit but before you can earn enough to cash out, the levels become impossible to win. It costs in game currency to get boosters and when that runs out the “watch ads to get more” don’t actually pay out.
The game is really fun but it definitely cheats. It makes it so you lose a round and you spend more coins for more cards or to replay. It owes me about 2000 coins from watching adds but won’t add them on. I would like to keep playing but I can’t without more coins. Fix the glitch.
Scam
This game is a scam. Won’t give me credit after watching ads or even let me purchase credits for .99 cents. I made $33 but guess I won’t be able to cash out since the minimum to do so is $150.
Ads, ads, and more ads. Oh ,and the ads don’t work!! Cause game to crash. Ran out of coins and guess what!! Watch more ads to get coins. What is even better!! When you “pretend” watch 30 second ads you don’t receive the coins promised. Don’t waste your time!
Can’t cash out
Says you can cash out once you hit $150. I am at $152 and the cash out button isn’t highlighted. I’m pretty sure it is illegal to promise payout then cheat people out of the money. There is also no option to get to you total money amount other than right after completing a level. How do I cash out????
Cannot log into Facebook through the app. “Watch ads for more coins” – doesn’t work. Earned $150 (which is the minimum to cash out)…….”cash out” button doesn’t work. Waste of time, do not install! Developers obviously do not care about this game.
