West Virginia Becomes Fourth State to Send Cease-and-Desist Letter to Bovada

West Virginia has become the fourth U.S. state to send a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada Sportsbook, joining Michigan, Colorado, and Connecticut. The West Virginia Lottery issued the letter to the Curacao-based website on June 27.

West Virginia could join seven U.S. states in preventing Bovada Sportsbook from accepting bets from residents

Bovada, an offshore sports betting site, has not yet responded to the notice. In addition to Colorado and Michigan, the offshore site has also stopped accepting bets from customers in Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.

Michigan was the first state to send a cease-and-desist order in May. Each letter gives the sportsbook’s operator, Harp Media B.V., 14 days from the date the letter is received to prevent residents from gambling via the site.

In other words, West Virginia is giving Bovada the same time frame.

Furthermore, the growth of iGaming in recent years has led to heightened oversight by regulatory bodies. These notices are a reminder to overseas operators that violating local regulations is still illegal.

Massachusetts is reportedly considering legal action as well. In March, the Bay State issued cease-and-desist orders to 10 daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators.

Americans wager over $500 billion annually on offshore gambling sites, according to the American Gaming Association

According to the American Gaming Association, Americans wager over $500 billion annually on offshore gambling sites. Of that amount, $63.8 billion is on just sports betting.

West Virginia legalized online sports betting in 2018. The state offers eight active sportsbooks, including BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel.

Although the Mountain State allows up to 15 online sportsbooks, this does not apply to offshore sportsbooks. This is because unlicensed operators are not obligated to comply with state and federal laws.

West Virginia has five regulated brick-and-mortar casinos

In 2019, BetLucky was shut down for failing to meet the West Virginia Lottery’s standards.

Additionally, West Virginia has five regulated land-based casinos that are currently partnered with sports betting apps: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (ESPN BET), The Greenbrier Resort (FanDuel), Mardi Gras Casino (Betly), Mountaineer Casino (Caesars), and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack (Betly).

Since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), 38 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized some form of regulated sports betting.