Avia Games talks charity, controversy, and ninth anniversary: "We think we have always been compliant to the law"

• Avia Games has surpassed 60 million installs over nine years.
• Vickie Chen talks values and empowerment at the women-led company.

Over nine years in the industry, mobile games maker Avia Games has grown its portfolio to more than 15 games, 60 million downloads and 450m monthly tournaments.

The women-led startup has since transformed into a global company known for its skill-based games like Solitaire Clash, Bingo Clash and Bingo Tour, and has used its growing presence to promote charity initiatives like Play for Paws.

Avia Games has also reached 500,000 fans on its Facebook page.

But this better part of a decade hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, as the company has also been hit by controversy like the accusation of using bots, and a patent infringement lawsuit.

To discuss how the company has navigated forward, continued past controversy, and engaged players for so many years, we speak with founder and CEO Vickie Chen, who talks adding "more variety" to Avia’s lineup.

She notes that, currently, four of its titles are "top performers" and Solitaire Clash is the flagship. While she can’t reveal specific financials, Chen does confirm that Avia's portfolio makes nine figures in annual revenue.

"Reaching those achievements - like over 60m downloads - has been the outcome of both product focus and marketing. On the product side, we’ve stayed committed to delivering fair, skill-based gameplay supported by strong live ops and a matchmaking algorithm," says Chen.

"At the same time, we’ve started to actively build Avia as a company brand, moving beyond just game titles. This shift opened the door to a range of collaborations that have amplified our growth, from influencer partnerships to cross-industry collaborations."

She notes that Avia’s $60m in funding has also enabled the company to scale.

Nine years of change

Reflecting on nine years, Chen suggests Avia Games has demonstrated how many different genres can be turned into skill-based games.

"We started with a solitaire game, then had a bingo game. Later on we had a bubble shooting game. We also launched and recreated a poo game into this genre," she says.

"This shows not only how far we’ve come but also our goal to bring fun, skill-based gaming experiences to players everywhere."

And as Avia’s portfolio has scaled up, so too has its team. The company currently employs around 500 people, and Chen celebrates that approximately 40% of them are women, "which is very rare in the gaming industry". Many of those women have grown into leadership roles, and a people-focused company culture emphasises the importance of inclusivity.

"Nine years ago when we first started, our main goal was just to survive and bring fun skill-based games to players. Now, our culture has really grown up. It's about clear values, putting players first, moving fast and staying creative, chasing growth, taking responsibility, and looking after the long-term wellbeing of our teams.

"I think because we are women-founded, we care about our players and we care about our employees a lot."

More broadly, Chen notes the industry has been through "a lot of transformations" since 2016. Regulatory changes in India are among the latest major shifts, with this August having seen a bill brought into law just two days after its proposal. Suddenly, real-money games have been banned in the country, a move that wiped billions off the market.

Avia Games is headquartered in the US, not India, but its games do involve real-money competition and were previously available in the country. So, we ask whether the ban has had any major impact on operations - and whether Chen is worried about the risk of sweeping regulatory changes elsewhere.

"Overall, I'm not concerned," she shares.

"It's a pity that this whole category in India basically disappeared - I heard the news a few weeks ago when I was at Gamescom - but we are very fortunate that our focus is on the US market and European markets. In these regions, regulations around iGaming, esports and skill-based games are much clearer and it’s very stable.

"So in the US and Europe, skill-based gaming is quite different from iGaming. It's about fair competition and casual fun, and the players really love it because it's more rewarding. It meets the players’ needs. So we are very confident that there is still bigger potential for this category."

At the same time, Chen acknowledges some restrictions do pose challenges, and confirms that global policies are monitored closely so that Avia can adapt its strategy market by market.

"Transparency, accountability and empowerment"

It’s impossible to reflect on Avia Games’ legacy without confronting the controversy of 2023, when fellow mobile games platform Skillz accused Bingo Clash of being rigged against players and a "copycat" of one of its own games.

Chen fought back at the time, arguing that Avia did not use bots in multiplayer games involving real money.

In 2024 a jury ruled that Bingo Clash did infringe on a patent - awarding Skillz a $42.9m victory.

"It was very unfortunate that we had that litigation. We think we have always been compliant to the law, to all the regulations," Chen tells us now.

"I cannot talk too much about the details of the litigation, but for us as a company, we have been keeping on following our core principles like putting players first, being innovative, and making continuous improvements - on what we’re building and giving back to society. So, I don't think we are affected by the litigation."

Chen adds that transparency, accountability and empowerment are important values to her. She believes in "embedding social responsibilities into our culture", and demonstrates how this manifests in the context of charity.

Avia Games has an ongoing commitment to support animal welfare, for example. There are two rescue cats in the office, which the employees love and receive love from while at work. And, recently, the company held a month-long initiative called Play for Paws with the no-kill animal shelter Nevade SPCA.

The collaboration took place to celebrate Avia’s ninth anniversary and saw five cents donated to the shelter for every game of Solitaire Clash or Bingo Tour played. Between August and September, $222,100 was donated in addition to 14,470 pounds of dog food.

"Campaigns like this not only draw engagement and organic sharing, but also create deeper emotional bonds with our players, proving that they value entertainment that carries purpose," Chen says.

"Our marketing team and our product team worked together to design this campaign. It shows how our mission has expanded from pure entertainment value to building a brand that players can trust - one that combines fun with meaningful purpose."

Chen also highlights faster payments as a reflection of her values, noting how, originally, it took approximately three days for a player to receive prize money won in Avia’s games, but now it can be as quick as a few hours.

Finally, she explores "empowerment" as giving people the respect, trust and freedom they need to take risks and grow. Chen suggests that these feelings make teams "brave" enough to try new things, to experiment, and to create something new.

"As a leader, I see my role as creating an environment where every voice is heard, where women have chances to lead, and where every team member knows their contributions matter. That's how we build resilience and creativity together."