Three weeks after the West Virginia Lottery Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to the parent company of Bovada, the sportsbook and casino brand has begun to restrict West Virginia users from accessing its services.
The West Virginia Lottery sent the notice to Curaçao-based Harp Media B.V. on June 26, stressing that Bovada was in violation of West Virginia law. The lottery gave Bovada 14 days to comply before turning to legal action.
The lottery’s director John Myers confirmed to SBC Americas 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,” he added in an email. “We understand that some accounts have been disabled and that a notice to contact customer service is being sent to account holders.”
Bovadas restricts usage in 8 states after numerous challenges
The West Virginia Lottery is just one of a smattering of regulators across the U.S. who have looked to crack down on the offshore and unregulated operator.
Bovada now restricts access in eight states:
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Maryland
- Delaware
- Michigan
- Colorado
- West Virginia
The Michigan Gaming Control Board was the first U.S. regulator in 2024 to take a stance against Bovada’s operations, issuing a cease-and-desist letter in May. As it appears to have done in West Virginia, Bovada missed the 14-day deadline to halt operations in the state but ultimately took action to prevent new sign-ups.
Colorado also sent a cease-and-desist letter in June and Bovada has gone offline in that state, too.
Last month, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s gaming division sent its own cease-and-desist letter to Bovada for breaching the state’s General Statutes and violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. However, as of July 16, Bovada is ostensibly still fully operational in Connecticut, more than a month after the state department sent the notice.
More could follow. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is also considering a ban on Bovada and last month discussed sending a cease-and-desist letter to the operator and is considering holding a formal assessment to determine whether to take regulatory action.
West Virginia could take action against others
In a statement posted by Myers last week, he suggested that the West Virginia Lottery could seek to take similar enforcement action against other unregulated operators.
“Bovada’s method of gaming violates our state laws by including the three elements of a wager, which is consideration, chance, and prize,” Myers wrote on July 12. “Any company that operates in this manner without being a licensed operator in the state poses risk to players and licensees.
“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.”
