Bovada Restricts West Virginia Users After Cease-and-Desist Notice

• Bovada recently listed West Virginia as a restricted state
• The West Virginia Lottery Commission sent the offshore operator a cease-and-desist letter in late June
• Bovada has pulled out of eight states

Just several weeks after receiving a cease-and-desist notice from the West Virginia Lottery Commission, Bovada has officially restricted West Virginia users from its online gaming services.

The illegal, offshore online sports betting and casino company now restricts users from eight states from its services. John A. Myers, director of the West Virginia Lottery, last week revealed the lottery is also investigating other potential violators in the state.

“Our laws are designed to protect our players, and we regulate with those individuals in mind. We are currently investigating other possible violators operating in similar manners,” he said.

Out in West Virginia

Myers today confirmed the news to Sports Betting Dime, but revealed Bovada still needs to take several steps to completely leave West Virginia.

“The West Virginia Lottery can confirm that Bovada has added West Virginia to its list of restricted states for gaming accounts. However, their terms and conditions do not appear to have been updated to list West Virginia as of this writing. We understand that some accounts have been disabled and that a notice to contact customer service is being sent to account holders,” he said.

The West Virginia Lottery sent a cease-and-desist notice to Harp Media B.V., parent company of Bovada,  on Wednesday, June 26. Harp Media B.V. operates in Willemstad, Curaçao.

Sports Betting Dime received a copy of the cease-and-desist notice from the West Virginia Lottery following a Freedom of Information Act request. Myers wrote in the notice that the lottery would take further action against the company if it did not leave the state within 14 days of receiving the notice.

“The statutes and possible legal actions provided in this letter are by no means exhaustive; they are intended to put you on notice that Bovada is in violation of West Virginia law. Failure to comply with this cease-and-desist request within fourteen days of receipt of this letter may result in heightened criminal and monetary fine under W. Va. Code 29-22D-1, et seq., and the West Virginia Lottery will refer this matter to the West Virginia Attorney General to initiate legal action,” he wrote.

Any illegally operating wagering company is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, can be fined not more than $10,000 or serve in jail for no more than 90 days. A second violation carries a fine of up to $50,000 and/or up to six months in jail and a third violation carries a fine ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 and/or potential jail time of not less than one year.

Still Live in Connecticut

Despite restricting users in West Virginia, Bovada is still operational in Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protections officially sent Bovada a cease-and-desist notice on June 14.

A spokesperson for the department told Sports Betting Dime last week that Bovada has yet to respond to the letter.

In the cease-and-desist letter written by Kristofer Gilman, Director of Gaming in Connecticut, Harp Media B.V. is notified that it is in violation of Connecticut General Statutes 53-278b, 53-278d, and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA).

Bovada does not possess an online gaming operator’s license in the state, nor do its actions fall within any of the excepted activities to the prohibition on gambling, Gilman wrote in the notice.

“Bovada’s promotion of unlicensed and illegal gambling services is also an unfair trade practice, which violates CUTPA,” Gilman wrote.

As of this writing, Bovada restricts users from the following states:

• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Maryland
• Delaware
• Michigan
• Colorado
• West Virginia