Marching orders
The state of Illinois has mandated that over 60 iCasino and online sweepstakes firms, including Stake, cease their operations within the state.
This directive came through a joint effort by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) and the Illinois Attorney General’s office, with the gambling regulator sending cease-and-desist notifications to over 60 entities allegedly running illegal gaming sites in Illinois.
Sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach shared a snapshot of such a notification addressed to Chumba Casino on X, also mentioning Fliff, High 5 Casino, JefeBet, Modo, Pulsz, Sportzino, and VGW among other addressees:
BREAKING: Illinois Gaming Board and Illinois Attorney General issue more than 60 cease-and-desist letters to companies operating illegal online casinos and/or online sweepstakes casinos. Letters sent to VGW, High 5 Casino, Fliff, JefeBet, Modo, Pulsz, Sportzino, Pulsz, and Stake.
The letters insist that these companies immediately block access to their platforms for Illinois residents and stop offering or distributing prizes to them.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul cautioned that failure to comply may result in “civil or criminal penalties” in accordance with state legislation.
Warnings issued
AG Raoul highlighted that these businesses endanger Illinoisans and compromise the integrity of the state’s regulated gaming market.
He affirmed that his office will persist in its collaboration with the IGB “to safeguard our residents and hold unlawful operators accountable.”
IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter commented that illegal online operations do not align with the “public’s interest in regulated gaming.”
Fruchter noted that the IGB will “continue to assess all available regulatory and law enforcement tools” to shield Illinois citizens from illegal gambling activities.
The provision of online games of chance, such as slots, table games, or online poker, which offer monetary rewards or valuable items, constitutes a breach of Illinois criminal statutes.
Double trouble
The recipients of these letters include entities like LuckyLandslots.com, Shuffle.us, SweepsLasVegas.com, The Money Factory, ToraTora Casino, and Bovada’s JuicySpotSlots.
Prominently, LuckyLandslots.com, a sister company of Chumba Casino under the pioneering casino sweepstakes conglomerate Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), was among those mentioned.
VGW was recently highlighted in media reports following the resignation of its CEO Laurence Escalante after his arrest in Australia on charges of drugs and domestic violence.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com
