The number: $14 million, six states, two apps
Yellow Social Interactive, the company behind Pulsz and Pulszbingo, has agreed to a $14 million class settlement in Robinson v. Yellow Social Interactive, LTD, Case No. 33-CV-2025-900072.00, in the Circuit Court of Franklin County, Alabama. The settlement covers people who spent money on either application while physically in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey or Massachusetts during state-specific periods ending 31 August 2026.
The headline is not a cash payment to every class member. The default benefit is 27% of eligible spending in Gold Coins, the virtual currency used to play the games. A class member can elect cash instead, calculated at 23% of eligible spending, but the cash pool is capped. If requests exceed the cap, part of a cash election can be paid in Gold Coins.
The court has not finally approved the settlement. The final approval hearing is 31 December 2026 in Russellville, Alabama. A class member can object or exclude themselves by 30 November 2026. A cash election is also due 30 November 2026. Doing nothing means receiving the virtual-currency benefit and releasing the claims.
The case is a private class action, not a regulator's enforcement action. The plaintiffs allege violations of six states' gambling laws through the sale of virtual chips. Yellow Social denies the claims and denies that it violated any law. The settlement is a compromise, not a finding of liability.
The six states are not one market. Alabama, Ohio and Massachusetts are open in the site's record; Tennessee and New Jersey are closed; Kentucky is restricted. The settlement covers periods before and after some of those legal changes. That mix is why the case matters beyond Pulsz: it tests what a private claim can recover across states with different legal positions.
Who is in the class
The class definition is specific. A class member must have spent money to play Pulsz or Pulszbingo while physically present in one of the six states during that state's period. The periods are not the same, and the difference matters.
Alabama: any application from 8 March 2022 through 31 August 2026. Tennessee: from 12 November 2022 through 31 August 2026. Kentucky: from 29 June 2023 through 31 August 2026. Ohio, New Jersey and Massachusetts: from 19 February 2024 through 31 August 2026.
The notice excludes judges and court staff, the defendant and its affiliates, people who timely exclude themselves, and the legal representatives of those excluded people. It does not require a purchase receipt. It does require account information for a cash election.
A reader who is unsure can call the settlement administrator at 1-833-656-1878 or check the official website, YSISettlement.com. The notice also gives a free class-counsel line at 1-800-667-6759. Those are the official routes; a social-media post is not.
The class is a settlement class, not a certified litigation class. The court authorized the notice so that class members could decide whether to stay in, elect cash, object or exclude themselves. The final approval hearing will decide whether the settlement becomes binding.
What the lawsuit claimed
The plaintiffs alleged that Yellow Social violated Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey and Massachusetts gambling laws by selling virtual chips in Pulsz and Pulszbingo. The theory is familiar from the state-law record: if the product is gambling and the state does not permit it, the money paid to play may be recoverable under state law.
The notice describes the apps as “social casino-style games.” It does not call them sweepstakes casinos. Pulsz uses Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, the dual-currency structure covered throughout this site. The complaint's theory and the settlement notice's language are not identical; a reader should not treat “social casino-style” as a legal conclusion.
Yellow Social denies all claims and denies that it violated any law. The settlement says the company agreed to avoid the uncertainty and expense of continued litigation. That is a standard settlement posture. It is not an admission, and it is not a court finding.
The class representatives are Leshaun Robinson, Luke Whitney, Carissa Pyles, Thomas Veil, Sharon King and Steven Davis. Class counsel are Davis & Norris, LLP and Bedford, Rogers & Bowling, P.C. The court is the Circuit Court of Franklin County, Alabama; Judge Brian P. Hamilton is overseeing the case.
The case is one of several private gambling-loss actions against sweepstakes operators. It is not the Arkansas attorney general action, and it is not a state ban. The Arkansas article covers the public enforcement route; this case is a private settlement with a class.
The benefit math
The default benefit is 27% of the amount spent in the covered states during the covered period, less administrative expenses, attorneys' fees and any incentive awards. The benefit is paid in Gold Coins at a rate of 10,000 Gold Coins per US dollar.
The cash election is 23% of the same eligible spending, less the same deductions. The election must be submitted by 30 November 2026. The cash benefit is paid by check or electronic payment within 60 days after final approval and any appeals. A check expires 90 days after it is issued.
A simple example: a class member with $1,000 of eligible spending would have a gross virtual-currency benefit of $270, or 2.7 million Gold Coins at the stated rate. The cash election would be $230 before deductions. Neither number is a guarantee; the deductions and the cash cap can reduce the actual benefit.
The math also depends on what counts as eligible spending. The notice uses the amount spent in the covered state during the covered period. A purchase made while the player was outside the state, or before the period began, is not part of the formula. The administrator, not the player, applies the record.
A class member should not use the $14 million headline as a per-person estimate. The fund pays administration, fees, incentives and benefits. The formulas allocate what remains, and the number of class members is not in the notice.
The Gold Coin benefit is paid in installments over two or five years, depending on the amount. The notice does not say that the coins are redeemable for cash. Gold Coins are the purchase currency in the Pulsz structure; Sweeps Coins are the prize currency. A class member who wants money should read the election terms carefully.
The Pulsz brand file records the brand's terms and state list. The redemption guide explains the difference between the two currencies and the cashier process. The settlement notice is the controlling document for the class benefit; the brand terms are context.
The cash cap and the installments
The cash election is not an unlimited right to cash. The settlement caps the total amount of money elections at 25% of the Estimated Total Benefit. If valid elections exceed the cap, the excess is paid in Gold Coins. That is why the notice says a cash election may be reduced.
The cap is not 25% of the $14 million headline. It is 25% of the Estimated Total Benefit, a figure defined in the settlement agreement. A reader should not assume that every dollar of the $14 million is available for cash elections.
The default Gold Coin benefit is paid over two or five years. The notice says the installment schedule depends on the amount. A class member who does nothing receives the coins and releases the claims. A class member who elects cash gets a faster payment but may receive less, and may still receive some coins if the cap is hit.
The timing is also different. Cash is paid within 60 days after final approval and any appeals. Coins are paid over years. A reader who needs money sooner should weigh the cash election against the possibility of a reduced cash award.
The settlement administrator is responsible for the election and payment. The notice gives the website and phone number. A class member should not send account details to an unofficial site or a social-media account.
What the settlement does not decide
The settlement does not decide whether Pulsz's product is legal in any state. It does not decide whether the plaintiffs would have won. It does not create a regulator's finding, a state ban or a public enforcement precedent. It is a private compromise.
The settlement does not cover people outside the six states or outside the class periods. It does not cover every Pulsz or Pulszbingo product, every entity or every claim. The release is defined by the settlement agreement, and the notice says the agreement describes the released claims specifically.
The settlement does not automatically change the site's state tiers. A private class settlement is not a statute or an enforcement action. The state pages remain the legal record; the settlement is a private case. The state-law dossier explains why the site separates those records.
The settlement does not answer the question a reader may care about most: whether the Gold Coins are useful. The notice pays Gold Coins, not Sweeps Coins. A class member who wants cash must elect it and accept the cap. A class member who wants to keep playing may value the coins differently.
The final approval hearing may change the outcome. The court can approve, reject or modify the settlement. An appeal can delay payment. The notice is a proposal, not a final order.
The deadlines and the release
The dates are close together. A cash election, an opt-out request and an objection are all due 30 November 2026. The final approval hearing is 31 December 2026. A class member who does nothing receives the virtual-currency benefit and releases the claims.
To exclude yourself, the notice requires a letter or request with your name, telephone number, mailing address, email address, Pulsz or Pulszbingo Player IDs and email addresses, and an individual ink-signed signature. It must be emailed or mailed to the settlement administrator by 30 November 2026. The address is P.O. Box 1029, Baton Rouge, LA 70821; the email is info@YSISettlement.com.
To object, the notice requires a written objection with customer IDs, contact information, the specific grounds, supporting documents, attorney information and a statement about whether you intend to appear. It must be filed with the court and delivered to class counsel and defense counsel by 30 November 2026.
A cash election requires the Claim ID from the notice and the Pulsz or Pulszbingo Customer IDs. The form can be submitted online or by mail at YSISettlement.com. The notice does not clearly say whether a mailed form must arrive or be postmarked by 30 November; send it early.
The release is the price of staying in the class. A class member who does nothing gives up the right to sue Yellow Social for the claims in the case. A class member who excludes themselves gets no benefit but keeps the right to sue. A class member who objects stays in the class and remains bound if the court approves the settlement.
Why Gold Coins are not cash
The settlement's default benefit is Gold Coins, not dollars. In the Pulsz structure, Gold Coins are the currency a player buys or receives to play; Sweeps Coins are the prize currency that can be redeemed for cash. The notice pays Gold Coins at 10,000 per dollar. It does not pay Sweeps Coins.
That distinction is the heart of the settlement's value. A Gold Coin balance lets a class member keep playing, but it is not a bank deposit. A class member who wants money must elect the 23% cash benefit and accept the cap. A class member who does nothing gets the coins and the release.
The notice says the coins are paid in installments over two or five years. That is a long tail for a benefit that is already in a closed-loop currency. A reader should compare the cash election, the cap and the installment schedule before deciding.
The terms guide explains how to find the currency, redemption and closure clauses in a sweepstakes terms page. The settlement notice is a different document, but the same discipline applies: read the definition, the rate and the release before acting.
The settlement is not a template for every brand. A different operator, a different state or a different class period could produce a different benefit. The Pulsz case is evidence of what one settlement looks like, not a prediction for the market.
What it means for the six states
The six states have different legal records. Alabama is open in the site's map; Ohio and Massachusetts are open; Tennessee and New Jersey are closed; Kentucky is restricted. The settlement covers periods that predate some of those positions and extend into 2026.
That mix is why a private settlement can coexist with an open state. A state can leave the product unaddressed and still have a gambling-loss statute that a private plaintiff can use. The Alabama, Ohio and Massachusetts pages show the public position; the settlement is a private claim.
In a closed state such as Tennessee or New Jersey, the settlement is another record alongside the statute. In a restricted state such as Kentucky, it sits alongside the regulator's posture. The site's coverage matrix tracks the operator lists, not the settlement.
The settlement does not change the state tiers. A class action can settle without a statute, a regulator's order or a universal operator exit. The reader should not read the settlement as a new ban or as a permission. It is a private case with a defined class and a defined release.
The broader lesson is that the legal record has more layers than the map. The map records the public position; the class action records a private claim; the operator's list records a commercial decision. The state-law dossier is the guide to those layers.
The reader checklist
First, confirm that you are in the class. Check the state, the dates and the apps. The periods are not interchangeable, and a purchase in one state does not qualify a purchase in another.
Second, find the notice and the Claim ID. The cash election requires the Claim ID and the Pulsz or Pulszbingo Customer IDs. The notice also gives the administrator phone number and the official website. Use those, not a social-media post.
Third, decide between the default Gold Coin benefit and the cash election. Read the 27% and 23% formulas, the deductions, the 25% cash cap and the two- or five-year installment schedule. The higher percentage is not necessarily the better benefit if you want cash.
Fourth, diarise 30 November 2026. A cash election, an opt-out and an objection all share that date. If you want to exclude yourself, follow the notice's signature and information requirements exactly. If you want to object, file with the court and deliver to counsel.
Fifth, preserve the record. Keep the notice, the election confirmation, the account IDs and any payment confirmation. If the settlement is appealed, the timeline can move. The final approval hearing is 31 December 2026, not the payment date.
Sixth, do not treat the settlement as legal advice. A class member with a large claim, a dispute about eligibility or a question about the release should consult a lawyer. The notice gives free class-counsel contact information; it does not replace individual advice.
How a class settlement becomes binding
A class settlement is not binding just because the parties signed it. The court must authorize notice, give class members a chance to object or exclude themselves, and hold a final approval hearing. The Pulsz notice is that authorization. The hearing is 31 December 2026.
If the court approves the settlement, every class member who did not exclude themselves is bound, whether or not they submitted a cash election. A class member who does nothing receives the virtual-currency benefit and releases the claims. That is the default, and it is why the opt-out deadline matters.
An objector stays in the class. An objector can ask the court to reject the settlement, but cannot ask the court to rewrite it. If the court rejects the settlement, the case continues and no benefits are paid. If the court approves it, the objector is bound like everyone else.
An appeal can delay payment. The notice says cash is paid within 60 days after final approval and any appeals. A class member should not treat 31 December as a payment date. It is the approval hearing, not the distribution date.
The release is defined by the settlement agreement, not by the notice summary. A class member with a large claim or a question about the scope should read the agreement and, if necessary, consult a lawyer. The notice is a summary; the agreement is the contract.
The fee and deduction question
The benefit formulas are stated as percentages “less Administrative Expenses, Attorneys' Fee Award, and Incentive Award.” Those deductions are not itemized in the notice. Class counsel has agreed to seek no more than 30% of the settlement amount; the court may award less. The administrator's costs and any incentive awards come out of the fund.
That means the 27% and 23% figures are gross formulas, not a promise of 27 cents or 23 cents on every dollar. The actual benefit depends on the total eligible spending, the deductions, the number of claims and the cash cap. A reader who wants a precise number cannot get one from the notice alone.
The notice says class counsel will file its fee request by 16 November 2026. That filing is the best public source for the actual deduction. A class member who wants to object to the fee can use the same 30 November deadline.
The $14 million figure is the settlement fund, not the sum of every class member's payment. The fund pays administration, fees, incentives and benefits. The notice's formulas allocate what remains. The difference between the headline and the payout is normal in class settlements, and it is why the notice uses percentages rather than dollar guarantees.
Why the headline is not the payout
A $14 million settlement can sound like a large per-person payment. The class is defined by six states and periods going back to March 2022. The number of eligible people is not in the notice. The per-person benefit depends on each person's eligible spending, the deductions and the cash cap.
The default benefit is paid in Gold Coins, not dollars. A class member who wants cash must elect the 23% option and accept the possibility of a reduced cash award. The 27% Gold Coin option is larger on paper, but it is not a cash payment.
The installment schedule adds another difference. Gold Coins are paid over two or five years. Cash is paid within 60 days after approval and appeals. A dollar today and a coin installment over five years are not the same benefit, even if the nominal percentage is higher.
The notice does not say how many people will elect cash. If few elect, the cap may not bind and the cash benefit may be close to the formula. If many elect, the cap may reduce cash and shift the remainder to coins. That uncertainty is built into the settlement.
The useful comparison is not “27% versus 23%.” It is “coins I may use versus cash I may receive, after deductions and caps.” A reader who wants cash should focus on the 23% election and the cap; a reader who wants to keep playing may value the coins differently.
The final number may also depend on the administrator records, not the player memory. A player who cannot document the state or the period should ask the administrator before filing. The notice phone number and website are the official routes. A third-party calculator that does not use the notice formulas is not a substitute for the official election form, and the notice is the only document that controls the deadlines.
The state-law theory behind the case
The complaint alleged violations of six states' gambling laws through the sale of virtual chips. That is a private-law theory, not a regulator's enforcement action. The plaintiff must connect a purchase, a game of chance and a state statute that allows recovery. The settlement avoids a ruling on whether that theory would have won.
The six states have different statutes and different court records. Alabama, Ohio and Massachusetts are open in the site's map; Tennessee and New Jersey are closed; Kentucky is restricted. A private claim can exist in an open state because the statute may give a loser a route to court even when the state has not banned the product.
The settlement is not a ban and not a permission. It does not change the state tier or the operator's list. It is a private compromise that resolves the named plaintiffs' claims and the class claims. The state-law dossier explains the difference between a private claim, a regulator's action and a statute.
The case also shows why a class action can be faster than a regulator. A private plaintiff can file, settle and pay without a legislature or a regulator. The trade-off is scope: the class is limited to six states and defined periods, and the release is limited to the claims in the case.
A reader should not read the settlement as a finding that Pulsz violated the law. Yellow Social denies the claims. The court has not decided the merits. The settlement is a compromise, and the notice says so.
The deadline map
There are three 30 November deadlines: cash election, exclusion and objection. They are not interchangeable, and they go to different places. A cash election goes to the administrator. An exclusion goes to the administrator with the notice's signed request. An objection goes to the court and to class counsel and defense counsel.
Missing the cash election does not remove a class member from the class. It means the default Gold Coin benefit applies. Missing the exclusion deadline means the class member stays in the class and is bound if the settlement is approved. Missing the objection deadline means the objection will not be considered.
The final approval hearing is 31 December 2026. A class member does not have to attend. Class counsel will answer the court's questions. An objector who wants to speak must include a notice of intent to appear in the written objection.
If the court approves the settlement, the administrator will process the benefits. Cash is paid within 60 days after final approval and any appeals. Gold Coins are paid in installments over two or five years. The notice does not give a separate distribution date.
A class member who misses a deadline should not assume there is a second chance. The notice sets the dates; the court can enforce them. The safe approach is to act early, keep the confirmation and use the official website or phone number.
The brand and the class
The defendant is Yellow Social Interactive Limited. The applications are Pulsz and Pulszbingo. The notice describes them as social casino-style games and identifies the claim as the sale of virtual chips. It does not describe the corporate group beyond YSI and the released parties.
The Pulsz brand file records the public brand, the terms and the state list. The settlement notice is a different document: it is a court-authorized class notice, not a terms page. A reader should not use one as a substitute for the other.
The class is limited to the six states and the defined periods. A Pulsz player in another state, or a player outside the period, is not a class member. A player who used only Pulszbingo is covered if the other conditions are met.
The settlement does not say that Pulsz will stop operating, change its terms or leave a state. It is a money-and-release settlement. The brand's commercial position is a separate question, tracked in the state list and the brand file.
The case is a reminder that a brand can settle a private claim without a regulator's finding. That does not make the product lawful or unlawful. It makes the claim resolved, for the class, under the terms of the settlement.
The class action versus the regulator
A regulator's action and a class settlement are different instruments. A regulator can seek penalties, an injunction, restitution or a licence consequence. A class settlement pays the class and releases the claims. The regulator's action can change a state tier; a class settlement usually does not.
The Pulsz settlement is a private compromise. It does not create a public enforcement record, a state ban or a regulator's finding. It is evidence that a private plaintiff can extract a payment, not evidence that the state has changed its position.
That difference matters to a reader who is trying to understand the map. The map tracks statutes, enforcement, litigation and operator exits. A class settlement is a litigation outcome, but it is not a state ban. It can sit alongside an open state or a closed one.
The settlement also shows why the same product can generate different records in different states. A private plaintiff can sue in a state where the product is open, if the state's gambling-loss statute allows it. A regulator may not act at all. The absence of a public action is not the absence of a claim.
The reader should keep the private and public records separate. The state-law dossier is the guide to the public record; the settlement is a private case with a defined class.
The reader's math
A reader who wants to compare the two benefits should start with eligible spending, not the headline. The notice uses the amount spent in the covered states during the covered period. A purchase outside the period or the state does not count.
Apply the 27% formula for Gold Coins, then the deductions. Apply the 23% formula for cash, then the same deductions. Then consider the 25% cash cap: if cash elections exceed the cap, the excess is paid in Gold Coins. The cash number is therefore a maximum, not a guarantee.
A simple comparison: $1,000 of eligible spending produces a $270 gross Gold Coin benefit or a $230 gross cash benefit before deductions. The Gold Coin benefit is larger on paper, but it is not cash. The cash benefit is smaller, but it is money if the cap does not reduce it.
The installment schedule changes the comparison again. Gold Coins are paid over two or five years. Cash is paid within 60 days after final approval and appeals. A reader who needs the money sooner should weight the cash option; a reader who wants to keep playing may weight the coins.
The notice is the only document that can answer the individual calculation. A blog post, a social-media summary or a calculator that does not use the notice's definitions is a guess. The official website and the administrator are the reliable routes.
If you are not sure you qualify
Start with the state and the date. The class requires physical presence in one of the six states during that state's period. A billing address or a tax residence is not enough if the player was elsewhere. The notice uses “while in” the state, not “residing in” the state.
Then check the application and the spending. The class covers Pulsz and Pulszbingo. A purchase on another brand, even if it is owned by the same group, is not covered by this notice. The eligible amount is the money spent in the covered state during the covered period.
If the records are incomplete, call the administrator. The notice gives 1-833-656-1878 and the official website. The notice also gives a free class-counsel line at 1-800-667-6759. A reader should not rely on a third-party claim service that asks for a fee or a password.
Do not guess on the election form. The form requires the Claim ID and the Customer IDs, and a false statement can affect the claim. If a required field is missing, ask the administrator before submitting.
The safest sequence is: confirm the class, find the notice, decide between coins and cash, act before 30 November, and keep the confirmation. The settlement is time-bound; the record is not.
How this report was built
The primary source is the court-authorized settlement notice in Robinson v. Yellow Social Interactive, LTD, Case No. 33-CV-2025-900072.00. The notice supplies the class definition, the benefit formulas, the deadlines, the release and the hearing date. The settlement website and the class-action tracker supply the official links and the $14 million figure.
The report does not rely on the plaintiffs' complaint for the facts of the settlement. It does not treat the allegations as findings. It separates the settlement notice from the brand's terms and from the state-law record.
What could not be verified: the exact number of class members, the final deductions, the actual cash cap and whether the settlement will be approved without modification. Those numbers will be in the court record or the administrator's later reports. The article will be updated if they become public.
Sources
Primary record, 6 sources