Pokemon Go: a new risk for insurers?

© KXoP, CC BY-SA 4.0

The consequences of this game in which virtual characters must be captured in the actual real world using Smartphones are not made to wait. On July 19, 2016, an American 15-year girl was struck by a car while chasing a Pokémon near a highway. Also in the United States, a motorist completely distracted by this game collided with a police car.

In the UK, the insurer, Row Insurance launched a first Pokemon insurance guarantee. Referred to as "Pokedex ", it covers policyholders against the screen breakage and damage to cell phones during the game.

For its part, Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, announced it has launched a free insurance cover for players in case of accident. Compensation which is capped at 1000 USD, vary according to the severity of the accident. The Russian institution also plans to attract these imaginary creatures in its branches. A way to meet new potential customers.

In Bosnia, the hunters of Pokemon have been warned to avoid the minefields and explosive devices still buried in the ground since the 1992-1995 war.

In Saudi Arabia, the General Directorate of Traffic (GDT) has condemned the practice of this game on public roads. Infringements would result in a fine of 300 SAR (80 USD).

Created jointly by The Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Niantic, three companies specializing in video games, this application consists in capturing Pokemon (mythical animals invented in 1997) hidden in real places (roads, buildings, public places, etc.) via Smartphones. This augmented-reality game which was launched in early July 2016 is a resounding success with over 7 million downloads in less than a week.