High5 fined $1.5M for unlicensed casino: What happens next? 1r4cl

On May 29, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (D) announced the resolution of an investigation into High5Casino, an unlicensed real-money gaming platform operated by High5Games. 

The company, a licensed gaming content provider for legal operators in the state, had been offering direct-to-consumer gambling services without proper authorization.

High5Games’ license was suspended on March 14, 2025, but reinstated on May 22, only after the company ceased its unlicensed casino operations and agreed to repay harmed players and fund consumer protection programs.

Breaking down the settlement 665y14

The D’s Gaming Division structured the penalty into multiple components:

• $643,424.30 in restitution to 794 s who lost money using High5Casino.

• $294,173.94 refunded to 108 players who were on the state’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion List, which prohibits individuals from collecting winnings or even participating in legal gambling.

• Nearly $800,000 allocated toward:

  • Consumer complaint resolution

  • Consumer education

  • Enforcement and litigation related to gambling violations
    

D Commissioner, Bryan T. Cafferelli, speaking about the settlement and the overall work of the D’s gaming division, had this to say;

We are pleased the Connecticut consumers who were lured into placing wagers on an unlicensed platform will be made whole. This case is just one example of the hard work our Gaming Division does to ensure a fair, safe, and legal gaming market in Connecticut.

Sweepstakes casinos come under fire…again 2j5t3w

While sweepstakes-style casinos often operate under a “virtual currency” model to avoid state gambling regulations, the High5Casino case demonstrates how regulators can pierce that legal loophole.

Flying under this was VGW, but with a crackdown appearing in New York, the operator felt it safer to cease their operations there. 

D Gaming Director Kris Gilman didn’t mince words, calling the platform an “unlicensed sweepstakes casino” that misled consumers into believing it was safe and authorized.

Echoing Cafferelli’s sentiments about the work done by the D Gaming Division, Gilman stated;

We work hard to ensure fairness in our licensed market, and when violations do occur, we make every effort to make sure consumers are made whole.

Repeat offender 62e36

High5’s legal troubles aren’t isolated. 

The company previously paid a $25 million penalty in Washington state for offering illegal social casino products. 

Earlier this year, it also withdrew its sweepstakes offerings from six U.S. states and halted new registrations in Canada.

What should s watch for next? 5o2dp

With Montana banning sweepstakes casinos earlier this year and Connecticut extracting a $1.5M settlement from High5Games, pressure is mounting on the social gaming model.

But while High5 might be the first major name to fall, it likely won’t be the last. 

The question now isn’t if more action is coming. It’s when and where it will strike next.