FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.About This FAQ

This page answers common legal, regulatory, and fairness questions about Deku Studios contests. Each answer is a short summary of the policy it links to. If an answer on this page and a linked policy ever differ, the linked policy controls.

For help with your account, deposits, withdrawals, or gameplay, visit support.deku.net or email support@deku.net.

2.Skill and Fairness

Is Deku gambling?

No. Deku Studios contests are contests of skill, not games of chance. The outcome of each contest is determined predominantly by the skill of the participants. Every participant in a contest receives identical starting conditions, scores are calculated on our servers using fixed rules applied to every participant, and nothing that affects scoring or placement during play is decided by chance. Acorns, the free in-app currency, have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for cash or anything of monetary value.

See Sections 3 and 6 of the Terms of Service.

Does every player get the same board?

Yes. Everyone in a contest plays the same seeded content: the same letter grid in Glyphs, the same puzzle in Nines, and the same deal in Soltara. The seed is set before any participant joins, and the same content is served to every participant without modification. Every participant in a contest plays under the same scoring rules.

See Section 3.2 of the Terms of Service and Section 9.4 of Fairness of Play.

How are contests matched?

You choose a contest format (a group contest or a 1v1 contest) and an entry-fee tier. You are placed into the oldest open contest at that format and tier that has an available slot and that you have not already entered. If there is none, a new contest is created. You play your session right away and do not wait for other participants. When every participant has finished, or the contest window closes, our servers calculate the final scores and distribute prizes.

See Section 8.1 of Fairness of Play.

How do you prevent cheating?

We monitor gameplay for signs of cheating, including input timing and patterns, scoring anomalies, and device and network signals, and all results are adjudicated on our servers. Flagged sessions are reviewed by a member of our team: we do not suspend accounts, void results, or withhold prizes based on automated detection alone. If your account is suspended or your contest results are voided after an anti-cheat review, you may appeal to fairplay@deku.net within fourteen (14) days.

See Section 10 of the Terms of Service and Section 9 of Fairness of Play.

3.Where and Who Can Play

Where can I play for cash?

Cash contests are available only in the eligible United States jurisdictions listed in Section 2.2 of the Terms of Service. Free contests using Acorns are available in all United States jurisdictions, subject to age and account-eligibility requirements. The list of eligible jurisdictions may change, so check the Terms for the current list.

How do you verify my location?

When you enter a cash contest, we verify that you are physically located in an eligible jurisdiction using GPS-based geolocation, IP-based geolocation, and VPN and proxy detection. You must allow the app to access your device's location to enter cash contests. Using a VPN, GPS spoofing, or any other way of masking your location is prohibited, and entries made from outside an eligible jurisdiction are voided.

See Section 2.2 of the Terms of Service.

How do you verify my age and identity?

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, and at least 21 years old to enter cash contests in certain jurisdictions. Before your first withdrawal, and at other times when required, you complete identity verification through our verification provider. It includes a government-issued photo ID check, a liveness check and face match, and sanctions screening. We verify your age through the same process.

See Sections 2.1 and 4.3 of the Terms of Service.

4.Money

Do I have to pay to play?

No. Free contests using Acorns are open to eligible players, and cash contests are optional. Acorns are awarded at no cost, for example as a sign-up bonus, as daily login rewards, and as winnings in Acorn contests. Deku Studios does not sell Acorns.

See Sections 2.2 and 6.1 of the Terms of Service.

How do deposits, bonus cash, and withdrawals work?

• Deposits. You can add funds by credit or debit card, ACH bank transfer, or PayPal. Player funds are held in a segregated account, separate from Deku Studios' operating funds.
• Bonus cash. Bonus cash is a promotional credit that can be used only toward contest entry fees. It cannot be withdrawn, and any unused bonus cash is forfeited when you make a withdrawal. Prizes you win are credited to your cash balance.
• Withdrawals. You complete identity verification before your first withdrawal. Prizes are withdrawable right away, and deposited funds become withdrawable once you use them to enter a contest. Processing times depend on the withdrawal method. Fees may apply to some withdrawal methods or speeds. For withdrawals you request in the app, any fee is shown before you confirm.

See Sections 6 and 7 of the Terms of Service and the Payment Terms & Limitations.

How is the platform fee calculated?

Deku Studios retains a percentage of the total entry fees in each cash contest as a platform fee, and the remainder forms the prize pool. The platform fee is currently 15% for 1v1 contests and 17.5% for group contests. In group contests, the prize pool is split 60% / 30% / 10% among the top three finishers. In 1v1 contests, the winner receives the whole prize pool. The entry fee and the prize pool are shown before you enter.

See Sections 5.5 and 5.6 of the Terms of Service and Section 8 of Fairness of Play.

5.Responsible Play

What responsible gaming tools are available?

• Deposit limits. Set daily, weekly, and monthly limits. Lowering a limit takes effect immediately; raising a limit takes effect after a 24-hour cooldown.
• Self-exclusion. Take a break for 1 to 365 days. While self-excluded, you cannot deposit or enter cash contests, but you can still withdraw available funds.

You can find these tools in the app under Profile > Settings > Responsible Gaming. You can also delete your account at any time under Profile > Settings > Privacy & Security. See the Responsible Gaming Policy.

Where can I get help?

If you or someone you know has a problem with gaming, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) by call or text, 24/7, or chat online at ncpgambling.org/chat. Help is free and confidential. More resources are listed in Section 7 of the Responsible Gaming Policy.

6.Contact

How do I contact support?

Visit support.deku.net for help articles, or email support@deku.net from the email address on your Deku account. To dispute a contest result, use Dispute a Match in the app (Profile > Help & Support) within 48 hours of the match. For privacy questions and data access requests, email privacy@deku.net.