Bovada is the most popular offshore online casino in the US. The gaming site houses a sportsbook, casino, and poker platform under one roof, and its owner, Calvin Ayre, has turned billionaire by ignoring state laws.
Offshore online gambling sites have been operating without much recourse since 2010 due to the nationwide ban on online gaming. The overturning of PASPA in 2018 has given birth to nearly 40 legal sports betting states and 7 for online casinos, with more underway.
The expansion of legal online gaming in the US has resulted in mounting pressure to block offshore gambling sites like Bovada from accepting Americans and taking a cut of the profits from legal businesses and state revenue.
Gaming authorities in Ohio and Louisiana are the latest to file cease-and-desist letters against Bovada. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and West Virginia are other states whose authorities have already acted against the offshore casino.
Licensing and regulation
Bovada’s offshore headquarters in Curacao and Anjouan Gaming license grant it complete freedom to operate as it sees fit in terms of availability of services, rules, taxation, etc.
Online gambling sites in the US must acquire licenses in every state they want to operate in and are required to partner with brick-and-mortar casinos before even being considered for a local iGaming license. Strict regulations and ongoing testing ensure a safer and fairer gambling environment for US players.
States, where online gambling remains illegal, are not that bothered with offshore operators catering to their residents who don’t have any other alternative. But Bovada is likely to be ordered out of every new state that approves US online casinos for operations.
To avoid escalation with the authorities, Bovada has been complying with all requests and is slowly restricting access to its casino.
How this development affects players
As a player, you should know that Bovada officials stated that you will be allowed to withdraw your winnings if you reside in a now-closed state. As always, Bovada urges players to cash out in crypto, which is the casino’s main payment option helping it fly off the radar.
What about other offshore online casinos?
US gaming authorities typically target the biggest industry players to signal potential action against every other online gambling site operating similarly. Seeing Bovada moving outside the US means that other major offshore online casinos will be leaving the highlighted states.
Wild Casino, Ducky Luck, Super Slots, Ignition, and High Roller casinos are all likely to follow suit and restrict their services. Although the companies behind these casinos can avoid lawsuits, fines, or jail time due to their offshore HQs and crypto operations, they usually play it safe and comply with state orders specifically targeted against them.
So, even if they don’t take note of Bovada’s paradigm, they will most likely leave the US by the end of 2025.