Another domino has fallen for offshore operator Bovada, as the group has added Ohio to the list of states it is no longer accepting customers from.
The move comes after the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) sent a cease and desist letter to the operator earlier this month.
The number of states Bovada no longer services now numbers nearly a dozen and that tally could grow as other states mull taking similar action.
Michigan and Colorado started the wave of C&Ds for the operator earlier this year. Both states sent cease and desists in May and Bovada responded by blocking users from those states. Connecticut and Washington D.C. followed suit in July.
States where residents can no longer access Bovada now include:
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
With Ohio now on the list, three of the ten most populous states in the country have pushed Bovada out of their market. Another big state could have the operator in its sights as well.
Massachusetts regulators have suggested they could look into this in the future as well. During the recent National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) summer meeting, operators and regulators discussed tactics to address the offshore market in their states.
While individual states take action on their own against offshore operators, some are asking the federal government to step in and get involved.
The American Gaming Association has repeatedly appealed to national lawmakers to take up the issue. Last year, a letter to Rep. Dina Titus from NFL VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs Jonathan Nabavi also suggested that, “Congress and the federal government have a unique role to play in bringing enforcement actions against illegal operators.”
