Coin Master

Is Coin Master safe?

Coin Master is not a scam and has no record of fines, but it is a slot machine in a cartoon wrapper, and it should be treated as one. You spin to win coins, attack and raid other players' villages, and when the free spins run out, the game sells more. Apple rates the app 18+ for frequent simulated gambling, and Moon Active's own terms set 18 as the minimum age. Players of every age still find it through adverts and Facebook friends.

We score it 52/100, below Candy Crush (57), which sells extra moves but nothing random, and close to PrizePicks (52), which involves real-money contests.

Why Apple rates it 18+

The App Store lists three reasons: frequent simulated gambling, frequent contests and loot boxes, plus advertising and messaging. The 18+ rating is the highest Apple gives. The game's loop is built on the same mechanics as a casino slot: a spinning reel, bonus rounds and a bet multiplier that raises both the stake and the payout.

Moon Active's terms say the game is "strictly for amusement purposes only" and that "no actual money or anything of value can be won". That is the legal line that keeps it out of gambling law in most countries. The money flows one way. On the US App Store a small spins pack costs $1.99, and the top listed packs cost $14.99 and $19.99.

Regulators have looked and stopped short. Germany's Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors considered whether Coin Master could push players toward gambling. In July 2020 it decided not to ban it, citing its "cartoony and unrealistic" presentation.

Children and the age rules

The terms are more porous than the rating suggests. Coin Master is limited to players aged 18 or the local age of majority, but the same terms add that if a minor uses the service, a parent or guardian "must read and consent". The privacy policy says Moon Active may ask for proof of age or parental consent at any stage, but neither document describes an age check before play.

A US case shows the effect. In Williams v. Moon Active, filed in California in February 2025 on behalf of a minor, the court found in December 2025 that the child had validly agreed to the arbitration clause in Moon Active's terms when she registered, and sent the dispute to private arbitration. In April 2026 it refused to reconsider. The family's claims, which Moon Active disputes, will not be heard in open court. An earlier New York class action against Moon Active was voluntarily dismissed in 2022.

What data Coin Master collects

Apple's label lists purchases, identifiers and usage data as used to track you for third-party advertising. Linked to your identity are your purchases, coarse location, email and name, contacts, user content, search history, identifiers, usage and diagnostics. The privacy policy goes further. Moon Active may receive data about you from "data providers and advertising partners", including location, age and interests, and it shares user data with ad partners "to facilitate interest-based advertising to those or similar users", which lets ad networks find new people who resemble existing players.

Moon Active treats this interest-based advertising as something US players can opt out of: in the game, open Settings, then Privacy Preferences, and choose "Opted Out".

How to keep Coin Master under control

1. Keep it off children's devices. On iPhone, set the App Store age limit in Screen Time below 18+; on Android, set Google Play's family controls.
2. Turn on purchase approval: Ask to Buy on iPhone, or a password for every purchase in Google Play. The game has no spending limit of its own.
3. Ignore free spins link sites that ask you to log in. Collect rewards inside the game.
4. Refuse the contacts permission and opt out of interest-based ads in the game's settings.
5. If spending gets out of hand, use the Account Deletion button inside the game and ask Apple or Google about refunds. Moon Active itself treats purchases as final.

How we scored it

Scams and harmful content (35) is Coin Master's weakest factor: a slot machine sold with real money, an 18+ rating that the terms and sign-up do little to enforce, and a phishing ecosystem around free spins. Privacy (42) reflects the tracking label and data bought from third parties. Regulatory record (88) is its best factor, because the one regulator we found that examined it declined to act and no fine has followed.