This week, the Grand Canyon State became the newest jurisdiction to attempt to shut down the operators of the international offshore gambling giant Bovada, as the Arizona Department of Gaming issued a cease-and-desist notice to the unauthorized online gaming platform. The correspondence was directed at Harp Media B.V., the managing entity behind Bovada, asserting […]
This week, the Grand Canyon State became the newest jurisdiction to attempt to shut down the operators of the international offshore gambling giant Bovada, as the Arizona Department of Gaming issued a cease-and-desist notice to the unauthorized online gaming platform.
The correspondence was directed at Harp Media B.V., the managing entity behind Bovada, asserting that the firm contravened three felonies in the state — namely, Promotion of Gambling, Illegal Control of an Enterprise, and Money Laundering.
In a statement released by the ADG on Tuesday, department representatives specified the reasons prompting their demand for Bovada to cease all commercial activities within the state, with ADG Director Jackie Johnson remarking that their actions this week are designed to safeguard state residents.
“We are diligently monitoring the shifting landscape of online gambling and taking proactive measures like this enable us to protect Arizona’s communities and economy from illicit undertakings,” Johnson commented. “Our enforcement team is dedicated to stopping unauthorized operations from gaining a foothold here. Arizona will not serve as a sanctuary for unlicensed or illegal gaming, nor will we permit unlawful entities to undermine the integrity of gaming in our state.”
Arizona sports betting is far from the only market facing threats from Bovada’s activities.
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What Happens Next?
Currently, we know that the ADG has instructed Bovada’s operators to halt all gambling operations in the state (both physical and online), with state regulators mandating Harp Media B.V. to act immediately.
Arizona becomes the most recent state to issue such a directive to Bovada, following 16 states and Washington D.C. that have already undertaken similar actions this year, after Michigan regulators were the first to initiate such measures in May.
Brendan Bussmann, a veteran gaming industry expert and managing partner at B Global, shared with BetArizona.com that the ADG’s initiative is not unexpected, but is a positive move towards eradicating illegal gaming activities across the nation.
“The Arizona Division of Gaming has now joined the ranks of over a dozen states that have asked the illegal market to stop exploiting its citizens,” Bussmann stated. “This is merely one of many sites that exist, but it marks the beginning of a much larger battle against unlicensed and unregulated entities. These sites, similar to illegal sweepstakes operators, intentionally evade the regulated market, offering no consumer protections or responsible gaming standards, and operate clandestinely. It’s time for all of these platforms to be dismantled. Today’s actions signal a positive step for the regulated industry.”
These recent actions taken by the ADG come two years after American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller initiated efforts towards removing Bovada and other illegal offshore operators from the U.S. gaming framework, advocating for a comprehensive federal crackdown on unregulated offshore gaming practices.
“Americans have a long-standing and widespread interest in sports betting and look for avenues to place bets, regardless of their legality. This is the fundamental reason behind the failure of prior federal attempts to limit this activity through the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which the Supreme Court struck down in 2018,” Miller wrote back in 2022. “Instead of curbing sports betting in the U.S., PASPA inadvertently fostered a vast illegal sports betting market that the AGA previously estimated exceeded $150 billion annually. This near-monopoly enjoyed by illegal operators fueled further criminal activities, providing no consumer protections or transparency to assure the integrity of sporting contests, and generating no economic benefits for states or tribal nations.”
For the time being, Arizona regulators urge residents of the 48th State to stay vigilant while gambling and ensure that all wagering is conducted with licensed, regulated operators to receive the consumer protection and secure gaming experience that only authorized operators can guarantee.
Stay connected with BetArizona for updates on Arizona betting apps.
