This week Arizona joined the growing list of regulators to send offshore sports betting operator Bovada a cease and desist letter asking them to leave the state.
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) announced the action on Tuesday but actually sent the letter on Nov. 8.
Within the letter, the ADG informed Bovada that the group believed the operator was violating a number of gambling laws, including promoting gambling, illegal control of an enterprise and money laundering, all of which are felonies.
“We are actively monitoring the evolving landscape of online gaming and taking proactive steps like this helps us protect Arizona’s communities and economy from illegal activities,” said Director of the ADG Jackie Johnson. “Our enforcement team is committed to preventing unauthorized operations from establishing a foothold here. Arizona will not be a safe haven for unlicensed or unlawful gaming, nor will we allow unlawful entities to compromise the integrity of gaming within our state.”
Bovada has since added Arizona to a growing list of states where residents are restricted from playing on the site.
The list now includes 16 states, most of which have sent the company cease and desist letters in the past year. Those states include Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Kansas and, most recently, Massachusetts.
Michigan began the wave of cease and desist letters earlier this year and, after Bovada backed out of the state, many other regulators followed suit and sent similar correspondence.
Tennessee recently fined the group $50,000 after sending several C&Ds and failing to receive a response.
