Less than a week after it ordered VGW to stop doing business in the state, Maryland’s gaming regulator has sent the same message to High 5 Casino.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) sent a cease-and-desist letter this week to High Entertainment, doing business as High 5 Casino. The letter, which was viewed by SBC Americas and is dated March 18, accuses the company of “offering and conducting online gaming activities in Maryland without legal authority to do so.”
“Online casino gaming (also known as iGaming) is not permitted in Maryland and an online operator is prohibited from offering any casino gaming unless licensed by the Commission,” added the MLCGCA’s Managing Director of Gaming, Michael Eaton, in the notice.
“The Commission has no record of High 5 Casino being issued a sports wagering license, a casino gaming license or registration as a fantasy competition operator.”
The MLGCA has given High 5 Casino until 5 p.m. ET on April 2 to reply to the lottery detailing what it offers in Maryland and confirming it will shut down any offerings that it is not licensed to provide.
Maryland asking for demonstration of legal standing
Just as it did with VGW, the commission has also requested that High 5 Casino provide “any legal analysis or opinion interpreting Maryland law that concludes, advises, or suggests that High Entertainment may legally offer sports wagering, casino games or fantasy competition games in Maryland without Commission registration or licensure.”
The MLGCA warned that failure to respond to the letter and comply with the regulator could “jeopardize” the likelihood of High 5 Casino ever being issued any license or approval to operate in Maryland.
High 5 Gaming declined to comment when reached by SBC Americas on Thursday.
Maryland has previously issued similar notices to a range of online gaming sites, including Bet US, BetAnySports, Fortune Coins, Golden Hearts, McLuck, Zula and more. The MLGCA has begun listing all of the unlicensed online gaming operators to which it has sent cease-and-desist letters.
CT regulators pressing criminal charges
While High 5 Casino has drawn the ire and a letter from Maryland, it’s facing rather more difficulty in Connecticut.
That state’s Department of Consumer Protection is suspending parent company High 5 Games’ service provider license in the state and pressing more than 1,000 criminal charges against the company.
High 5 Casino, which announced last month that it would cease offering its products in the six states where online casino is regulated and legal, said in a statement responding to the Connecticut DCP that it “has always upheld the highest regulatory standards and remains committed to compliance across all jurisdictions in which we operate.”
