Last updated: September 25, 2024
Bovada has been ordered to exit Kansas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, bringing its total restricted jurisdictions in the U.S. to 14. As more states tighten regulations against offshore gambling, Bovada continues to comply silently while illegal betting remains rampant, with approximately $500 billion wagered on unregulated platforms.
The USA continues to crack down on illegal gambling and betting. Thus, Bovada, an offshore gambling site, has been asked to stop operations in other areas to date. Recently, it was requested to remove its website from Kansas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. Hence, the total number of carved-out geographical areas in the United States stands at 14, which are 13 states and the District of Columbia. Curiously, this latest development reduces Bovada’s operational exposure in the country, particularly given that further restrictions could be on the way.
The gambling company has been labeled an ‘illegal gambling operator,’ which has triggered a debate on how the offshore gaming industry can be regulated. Bovada has been ready to follow the state orders and immediately added the newly restricted state to its list. Nevertheless, it has not disclosed such regulatory requests publicly, though the legal cases show they were made.
Earlier this year, Bovada received the same signals after being told to cease operations in Ohio, Connecticut, and Michigan within the last months. Specifically, Bovada will experience its troubles with states growing shortly as more of them make enforcement actions against such offshore gambling platforms.
In a somewhat new development concerning the regulation of offshore gambling, authorities in different states have stepped up the pace in their crackdowns on offshore operations, most recently and rather unprecedented actions against the website Bovada. The recent measures align with some similar trends that have been observed toward the increased attention of the states toward the operations of ILGA in the United States.
State regulators send out letters of cessation, which give companies two weeks to comply. Bovada has not commented publicly on any of these regulatory actions, but it has responded to them. The company has also been quick to explain to its customers that it will not be accepting wagers from people in states that have recently banned it.
The latest states to take action against Bovada—Kansas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania—have been diligently preparing their regulatory measures throughout the summer, culminating in these recent enforcement steps.
Despite these intensified efforts, the American Gaming Association estimates that approximately $500 billion continues to be wagered on illegal gambling websites and through unregulated land-based operators across the country.
