Bovada Banned in D.C. and Connecticut Amid State Crackdown

You can add offshore sports bettors in Connecticut and the District of Columbia to the list of people in search of the best sports betting sites.

Bettors in Connecticut can no longer access embattled gambling site Bovada following targeted regulatory efforts from the state's Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). This change comes weeks after the DCP issued a cease and desist letter to Bovada’s owner, Harp Media BV, citing violations of both the Connecticut General Statutes and Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA).

While there has been no report of a cease and desist letter issued by the D.C.'s own regulatory department, the district has also been added to Bovada’s list of restricted states.

Increasing Crackdown Across the US

Connecticut and D.C. are only the latest additions to a growing list of states banning Bovada following a mass expulsion of the illegal gambling platform from states with a regulated gambling market. Other jurisdictions that have banned Bovada from operating within state lines include Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia.

Several of these states also sent cease and desist orders to the Curaçao-based company. Massachusetts regulators considered doing the same in June, though no action has been taken since.

Emphasis on State-Sanctioned Operators

While Bovada has not publicly acknowledged the letters, the DCP believes they likely influenced the change.

“It is likely the letter had an impact. Regardless, the outcome is favorable for Connecticut bettors, who otherwise would be placing their money and personal information at risk by wagering on an unlicensed platform that is not subject to regulatory oversight,” says DCP Communications Director Kaitlyn Krasselt, as reported by Bonus in a news release.

Krasselt also reminded Connecticut sports betting enthusiasts of the legal operators available in the state and of the importance of responsible gambling practices.

“Three licensed Sports Wagering operators (Fanatics, FanDuel, DraftKings), two licensed iCasino operators (DraftKings/Foxwoods, FanDuel/MoheganSunOnline), one iLottery operator (Connecticut Lottery Corp/IGT), one Fantasy Sports operator (DraftKings),” said Krasselt.

"Those operators meet our regulatory standards and consumers are protected in the event of an issue. For adults who choose to participate in gaming, we remind them to do so responsibly, on a legal platform, and take advantage of tools such as time and money limits, and to take breaks as needed.”

The timing is interesting when it comes to DC sports betting, with the district having opened up the legal market to other heavy hitters, including BetMGM, Caesars and DraftKings. Prior to this, FanDuel (and before it, GambetDC) had enjoyed a monopoly on legal sports betting.

Michigan Leads The Way

Michigan was the first state to threaten legal action against the offshore sportsbook. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) received high praise from the American Gaming Association (AGA), which has been lobbying the federal government to crack down on illegal iGaming operators for years.

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board’s decisive action highlights that states have the power to protect their residents from predatory, offshore gambling sites and is another important step in winning the battle against the illegal market,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller in a May statement. “The AGA applauds the MGCB’s leadership against bad actors like Bovada and urges other states to follow Michigan’s lead.”

Members of the AGA include a who's-who of the best sports betting apps, led by DraftKings, FanDuel, and bet365. These companies operate legally in the US through partnerships with brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and/or licenses from individual state regulatory boards.