One of the world’s most popular offshore sportsbooks, Bovada (find out more with our Bovada Review), was recently given a cease-and-desist letter from the state of Ohio. It is the latest in a series of state regulators that have taken aim at the Curacao-based bookmaker.
Persona Non Grata
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) sent Bovada a cease-and-desist order on August 6th and gave the company only 10 days to stop operating in the Ohio market. The popular offshore sportsbook and iGaming site complied and is now unavailable to those within the boundaries of Ohio.
Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matthew Schuler said in the letter, “Operating an unlicensed casino or sportsbook within Ohio also violates Ohio’s Criminal Code. Because Bovada is offering unlicensed and illegal online gaming products within Ohio, the Commission demands that Bovada cease and desist from offering, participating in the offering, or facilitating those who offer these products in the State of Ohio.”
“The Commission will continue to ensure that entities seeking to offer casino gaming, skill games, fantasy contests, or sports gaming in Ohio do so in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. We will use the civil and criminal tools at our disposal whenever it discovers gaming products being offered illegally in the state,” wrote an OCCC spokesperson.
Age Gauge
Although Bovada claims its age requirements mirror whatever market it is serving, it was noted that those in Ohio as young as 18 could sign up for an account despite the minimum age to place a sports bet is 21 in the Buckeye State.
Shuler referred to the transgression as “another troubling aspect of Bovada’s online gaming product,” adding “this violation not only breaches state gambling regulations but also undermines the integrity of legal gambling operations within Ohio.”
Thus, this may not be the last time the OCCC targets a major offshore sports betting operator, but right now it is the latest state to ban Bovada from doing business. Ten other states and jurisdictions including Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, Colorado, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. have sent Bovada a similar cease and desist letter and the company has obliged all of those demands.
Although sports betting with U.S. licensed and regulated operators has caught on like wildfire since PASPA was overturned in 2018, the offshore market still holds considerable sway with American bettors. The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that U.S. sports bettors wager over $500 billion per year with offshore sportsbooks like Bovada.
In 2022, AGA President Bill Miller wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland asking for federal intervention to stem the flow of offshore sportsbooks operating in U.S. regulated markets. However, the federal government has been reluctant to inject itself into state affairs.
Chris Cylke, the AGA’s senior vice president of government relations, recently released a statement, saying, in part, “…states should not have to take on this battle alone – the [U.S. Department of Justice] must also use its powers to aid the fight against illegal gambling, which Congress has clearly identified as a department priority.”
