New York shuts 26 ‘dangerous’ sweepstakes casinos 5b6k1d
The New York Attorney General Letitia James has forced 26 illegal sweepstakes casinos to close their doors, stating that they are “illegal, dangerous, and can seriously ruin people’s finances.” 3z3w5a
Operators already anticipated this ruling by James. VGW Holdings began withdrawing from the New York market back in May, following proposals introduced in March that would ban sweepstakes casinos.
The U.S. has already started to crack down on this type of gaming. States such as Montana have already ed a bill that will prohibit them, effective as of October 1, while states like New Jersey and Connecticut have followed suit.
New York is just the next state to ban sweepstakes casinos.
Which operators have received cease-and-desist letters? d2h73
The Office of the Attorney General and the New York State Gaming Commission have collaborated to identify online sites that have been offering players opportunities to play slots, table games, and sports betting using virtual currencies. The platforms also provided s with the opportunity to exchange these virtual currencies for prizes and cash.
Here is the list of platforms that have been forced to cease their operations:
Chanced
Chumba
DingDingDing
Fliff
Fortune Coins
Fortune Wheelz
Funrize
FunzCity
Global Poker
Golden Hearts Games
High 5 Casino
Jackpota
Luckyland
McLuck
Mega Bonanza
NoLimitCoins
Play Fame
RealPrize
Sidepot
SpinBlitz
Sportzino
SweepSlots
Sweeptastic
TaoFortune
Yay Casino
Zula Casino
The reason for the ban? These casinos operate without any regulatory oversight, leaving New Yorkers in danger.
What are the issues with sweepstakes casinos? 5q5l3a
While online casinos are regulated and must comply with strict laws and regulations, sweepstakes casinos are not.
As a result, there are no checks at these types of casinos as to whether the outcomes are rigged. Sweepstakes casinos also do not have to financial checks or follow consumer protection laws.
Attorney General James has stated that:
“Online sweepstakes casinos are illegal, dangerous, and can seriously ruin people’s finances.”
“I thank the New York State Gaming Commission and Senator Addabbo for partnering with my office on this issue to protect New Yorkers.”
Chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission added:
“These so-called ‘sweepstakes’ games are unscrupulous, unsecure, and unlawful.”
“I have been very vocal about the need to crack down on these operations, and I am thrilled that Attorney General James has taken this significant step to eradicate the illegal gambling market. We encourage those of age who wish to gamble to do so with legal operators.”
Will more states follow? 401o2k
It is not just New York that has banned sweepstakes casinos. Montana has already become the first state to a bill outlawing them, while Connecticut and Louisiana have also ed similar bills.
As more and more states continue to prohibit these operators, the expectation is that we could see a near nationwide ban.