A negligence claim against Roblox which argues that the game functions as an illegal gambling operation can proceed, a federal judge has ruled.

The case relates to an August 2023 complaint from parents that their children were able to gamble using Robux, the Roblox’s in-game currency, on third-party websites. The claim alleges that Roblox was aware of these sites and transactions and both allowed and encouraged them to generate additional revenue for the company thanks to a 30% conversion fee on Robux to US dollars.

They allege that these deliberate design decisions by Roblox created the risk of harm“

“The plaintiffs allege that Roblox has created a clearinghouse for illegal transactions within the virtual playground, and that Roblox facilitates those transactions and profits from them,” said US District Judge Vince Chhabria. “they allege that these deliberate design decisions by Roblox created the risk of harm to the minor plaintiffs who otherwise would not have been exposed to the virtual casinos.”

However, not all claims against Roblox were permitted by Chhabria. Fraud and all state law claims were dismissed, as the plaintiffs did not allege any communication from the company.

In addition, requests for injunctive relief were also dismissed, on the grounds that minors were now restricted from purchases with Robux and were likely to remain so in the future.