Bovada may have ended operations in West Virginia, but the state gaming regulator is persisting with its “cease and desist” letters against Bovada and other illegal offshore gambling sites. On July 15, Bonus saw the “restricted” notice on Bovada’s site and heard from a West Virginia Lottery official about the state’s continued investigation into other operators.
On July 15, Bonus noticed Bovada’s site added West Virginia to the states it no longer serves.
The illegal site seems to have placed states on the list as its owner, Curaçao-based Harp Media, received cease-and-desist letters from gaming regulators. Michigan officials sent a letter on May 29, Colorado regulators did so on June 4, and West Virginia’s is dated June 26.
Bovada’s list of restricted states is, in order:
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Maryland
- Delaware
- Michigan
- Colorado
- West Virginia
On July 15, Bovada had yet to update its Terms of Service page to include West Virginia as a restricted state. Bonus performed the search in Philadelphia, while Myers told Bonus he didn’t see the same page results in West Virginia.
Meanwhile, West Virginia Lottery Director John A. Myers tells Bonus the fight continues.
Myers told Bonus on July 15:
Please allow us to complete our investigations prior to requesting the letters. I would like to get responses or know that we are not going to get one prior to identifying the companies. I think they deserve a chance to make their case as to why they think it is legal in our state before we make that public. I promise to provide the information soon after we have given them an opportunity to receive and respond. The Bovada thing got out on the wire before they received the letter, which could have messed up the investigation. They were reading about it before they signed for the letter.
In other words, Myers won’t yet release the names of the other illegal online gambling sites his office is investigating.
West Virginia is among select company in the US, as one of eight states offering any form of legal online casino and poker games. In the case of the Mountain State, West Virginia online casinos and sports betting sites have been taking bets for four years. Online poker is legal, but not yet offered because no operators have accepted the role.
Letter Warns Bovada of ‘Legal Action’
On June 26, Myers emailed and FedExed a cease and desist letter to Harp Media about Bovada.
Bonus submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the lottery on July 3 about the Bovada investigation, and on July 12, the gaming regulator’s general counsel sent Bonus the document.
The letter read, in part:
Based on our investigation, the West Virginia Lottery (hereinafter referred to as the “Lottery”) has confirmed that Harp Media B.V., which owns and operates the online casino Bovada, is allowing West Virginia residents to place wagers via mobile app and desktop website on its platform in violation of West Virginia law. The online casino services include sportsbook, iGaming, table games, slots, live dealer, poker, and horse racing, offering hundreds of gambling options …
The two-page letter from the West Virginia gaming regulator warns Harp Media about possible legal action, fines, and jail time.
The warning adds:
Failure to comply with this cease-and-desist request within fourteen days of receipt of this letter may result in heightened criminal and monetary fines under W Va. Code §29-22D-I, et seq., and the West Virginia Lottery will refer this matter to the West Virginia Attorney General to initiate legal action.
Myers told Bonus the July 17 deadline is nearing.
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