Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how PlayAirHockey.com uses cookies and similar technologies such as browser local storage.

0. Your Choice

No analytics cookie is set until you agree to it. The first time you visit, a banner asks whether we may use analytics. Until you choose "Accept analytics" nothing is loaded from Google and no analytics cookie exists. Choosing "Reject", or simply ignoring the banner, leaves the site running with no cookies at all.

Your answer is stored on your own device under pah_cookie_consent, together with the date you gave it. You can change your mind whenever you like using the Cookie Settings link in the footer and in the game menu. It reopens the banner, and if you switch to "Reject" we delete the Google Analytics cookies that were already set.

The game is fully playable either way. Nothing is withheld, degraded or gated behind your answer.

1. What We Store

1.1 Local Storage (Essential)

Most of what we store isn't a cookie at all. It's browser local storage, which never leaves your device and is never sent to our servers:

• pah_saved_nickname: the display name you last used
• pah_difficulty: your selected computer difficulty
• pah_goals_v2: how many goals you last chose to play to
• playairhockey_stats: your local match history (wins and losses)
• pah_cookie_consent: your answer to the cookie banner, and its date

These exist purely so you don't have to re-enter your preferences on every visit. They do not require consent because they hold nothing but choices you made yourself, and none of them is used to track you.

1.2 Analytics Cookies (only with your consent)

Only if you accept, Google Analytics 4 sets cookies (such as _ga and _gid) to distinguish visitors and measure aggregate usage. We run it with IP anonymisation on, and with Google's advertising, ad-personalisation and ad-user-data signals all set to denied: the ads on this site are not served by Google, and Google Analytics is not used to target them.

The legal basis is your consent. Withdraw it at any time via Cookie Settings and these cookies are deleted.

1.3 Advertising

The website is free to play and is paid for by advertising. The ads you see are served by Adsterra, an advertising network. Every ad is clearly labelled Advertisement and runs inside an isolated frame that cannot read your nickname, your match history or anything else the game stores.

To pick an ad and to count that it was shown or clicked, Adsterra receives your IP address and basic browser information, and it may set its own cookies or use similar identifiers to limit how often you see the same ad and to measure its campaigns. We do not send Adsterra any information about you, and we do not build advertising profiles ourselves. Adsterra's own use of data is described in its privacy policy at adsterra.com/privacy-policy.

1.4 Third-Party Connection Data

Online matches connect to Ably's realtime service. This connection sets no cookies: it is authenticated with a short-lived token that our own server issues for that session and that is never written to your browser's storage. Ably does receive your IP address, as any server you connect to necessarily does.

2. What We Don't Use

• No advertising or retargeting cookies of our own; the only ad-related cookies are the ones described in 1.3
• No cross-site tracking by us
• No social media pixels
• No fingerprinting

3. Managing Cookies

The quickest route is the Cookie Settings link in the footer of every page and in the game menu. It reopens the banner so you can change your answer in one click, in either direction.

You can also clear or block cookies and local storage in your browser settings. Doing so is safe: the game will still work, you'll simply be asked for your nickname again, your local match history will be gone, and the cookie banner will ask you once more.

To opt out of Google Analytics specifically, install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4. Changes

We may update this policy as the site evolves. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent change.

5. Contact

Questions: support@velovid.net