What it is
Coin Master is free to download. You spin, attack villages, and build your own. Spins run out on purpose. The shop sells more spins, and the offers show up the moment the fun stops. Friends and Facebook can be tied to the account, so other people raid you and you raid them.
What it costs: spins, packs, and “special” chests, with no natural end. What it costs if the card is somewhere else: nothing, because a finished spin meter means stop.
What to look out for
- Spin packs bought in a string.
- A card or PayPal approved with a face or a fingerprint.
- Links from the game into Facebook or another app.
- A child who feels they are falling behind friends who pay.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Coin Master. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- When the spins run out, the session is over. That is the rule before they install it.
- Card off the device. In-app purchases off.
- This is a poor game to leave on a child’s phone unsupervised. The whole loop is “stop, unless you pay”.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Games that sell random prizes are getting higher age ratings The report describes games built around running out, then selling more. Coin Master sells spins.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "Running out of spins is the game asking for money. The answer is to close it. My card will not be on this phone to say yes for you."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.