Home Gaming Woman steals to support Candy Crush addiction

Woman steals to support Candy Crush addiction

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I’ve pretty much stopped playing Candy Crush these days. I only log on if Gavin asks for tickets, playing a few rounds and then avoiding it again. However, some people are still seriously addicted, and spending big cash on the game as well.

Over in the UK, a woman stole in order to buy power-ups and other junk for games like Candy Crush and others. She didn’t just steal a small amount, either. Sally-Anne Turner, a 45 year-old woman was given access to her disabled mother’s bank account when she was appointed as her carer. The mother became suspicious when she noticed money was missing from her account, and which point she realized that over £1,000 had been taken. That’s a lot of lollipops.

Turner has been charged with fraud while occupying a position of trust, facing jail time and needing to pay back her poor old mum.

Addiction is a terrible thing, and it is compulsive behaviour. It doesn’t excuse what Turner did, but I do think we need to talk about Candy Crush addiction as that – this goes beyond the whale level, and is purely about the addictive thrill of the game. I feel bad for everyone involved – that woman must turn off her Google wallet or unlink her credit card from the game, whatever it takes to stop spending money on Candy Crush. This isn’t just a kid acting out of control or by mistake – it’s almost even more sad when a grown woman gets sucked in like this.

How much have you paid for mobile gaming or micro-transactions? Are you a whale, or more of a minnow?

Last Updated: July 3, 2014

No Comments

  1. Kensei Seraph

    July 3, 2014 at 10:10

    I think I’ve spent just under R13,00 on what might be called a micro-transactions.
    I bought the full version of Plague, Inc for my S4.
    I’ve earned everything except the scenarios but I have no idea how to unlock those except by paying.

    Reply

  2. Rince&pop

    July 3, 2014 at 10:15

    I’ve paid exactly diddly squat NUDDA.

    Reply

    • Norm

      July 3, 2014 at 10:32

      I never even played it.
      🙂

      Reply

      • Rince&pop

        July 3, 2014 at 10:35

        Nor I!

        Reply

  3. Rince&pop

    July 3, 2014 at 10:17

    Gavin, alarm bells. All I am saying…

    Reply

  4. oVg... what castle?

    July 3, 2014 at 10:20

    If this story was released in the early 90s I would not have believed you.
    1. The story is about a women playing video games.
    2. The person is over 20
    3. The person committed a crime to play a TV game
    4. Story is featured in a newspaper

    My my, how far this hobby has come in 20 years. The problem now sits on educating the late adaptors to the addictive nature of our hobby. We had to learn the hard way while growing up, with no advice from anybody.

    Reply

    • Rince&pop

      July 3, 2014 at 10:22

      Winner 😉

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      July 3, 2014 at 10:57

      Regarding point no.4 – newspapers still existed in the 90’s 😉

      Reply

  5. Pieter Smal

    July 3, 2014 at 10:26

    I have paid R35 for Pearls Peril on FB… worth every cent! 😀

    Reply

  6. Matewis Jubilai

    July 3, 2014 at 10:26

    “we need to talk about Candy Crush addiction” ? An addiction like that is at least tangible, as opposed to, say, people buying bobby van jaarsveld cds…

    Seriously though, I’m not sure how this is any different from gaming addiction in general. In general there may not be any additional transactions involved, but time is, and always will be, money.

    Reply

  7. Jonah Cash

    July 3, 2014 at 10:35

    I have never spent a cent in game!! I will pay to get a game, but I refuse to spend money after that on it!! If you give it to me free, it is your loss because I won’t spend anything on it!!!

    Reply

  8. Norm

    July 3, 2014 at 10:35

    R20 for both Kingdom Rush games.

    Reply

    • Her Highness the Hipster

      July 3, 2014 at 10:37

      but they are awesome and worth every penny

      Reply

      • Norm

        July 3, 2014 at 10:44

        Still playing them!

        Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      July 3, 2014 at 10:47

      You filthy casual you 😛

      Reply

      • Norm

        July 3, 2014 at 10:58

        My bad 😛

        Reply

  9. Xcalibersa

    July 3, 2014 at 10:44

    Or you could just get a hack for unlimited lives…

    Reply

  10. Hammersteyn

    July 3, 2014 at 10:47

    Amy Winehouse?

    Reply

  11. Hammersteyn

    July 3, 2014 at 10:49

    I haven’t spend a cent on F2P mobile games, because you know, their F2P. So when I run out of lives on candy crush I play pet rescue saga. By the time I’m done with pet rescue my legs are already dead from sitting on the toilet to long.

    Reply

  12. Alien Emperor Trevor

    July 3, 2014 at 10:58

    Well if buying a couple of humble android/mobile bundles count, then I’ve spent a few $, otherwise no.

    Reply

  13. Anon A Mouse

    July 3, 2014 at 10:59

    Never paid anything for any app or game on mobile. Not even for the app / game. Never will.

    Reply

    • geelslang

      July 3, 2014 at 12:15

      I see buying apps and games for your smartphone as a neccecary expense if you want the most from your 8k invesment. I hate apps with adds in them. Mobile apps are cheap enough to buy a few. That said, the apps I use the most are all ‘free’,

      Reply

  14. Stephen Snook

    July 3, 2014 at 11:05

    Operant conditioning at its finest. It’s crazy how potent it can be to getting people addicted to a game.

    Reply

  15. Sith JJ

    July 3, 2014 at 11:09

    I have never played Candy Crush

    Reply

  16. Mossel

    July 3, 2014 at 11:34

    Anyone here play Clash of Clans?! We need to form a lazygamer clan!

    Reply

  17. Vlam

    July 3, 2014 at 12:19

    When my iPhone was Jailbroken i just clicked the $100 packages for the fun of it, but without jailbreak, i havent spent a single cent on mobile gaming. But lets not start on the addiction that is Dota 2

    Reply

  18. Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!

    July 3, 2014 at 12:24

    This is why the F2P/Microtransaction model is so dangerous. It’s got the same effect as gambling on people.

    Their needs to be a limit on what a person can spend on these games and once you have spent that limit then all the content needs to be unlocked.

    I mean can one really, honestly say that spending over a 1000 bucks on a game shouldn’t instantly qualify you for all the content?

    The companies of these games need to put measures in place to prevent this kind of sad overspending

    Reply

  19. VampyreSquirrel

    July 3, 2014 at 13:36

    I think we need to launch an NPA named CCAA (Candy Crush Addicts Anonymous) and then name and shame them all!!! Kidding… This is a serious issue, along the lines of Gambling addictions.

    Reply

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