The West Virginia Lottery Commission sent a cease and desist order to casino and sportsbook Bovada last June, and it looks like Bovada is complying. This follows a similar cease and desist order from Michigan, bringing the total number of states restricting Bovada to eight, including New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and Colorado.

In one significant move which further protects its regulated online gambling market, the West Virginia Lottery Commission has issued a cease-and-desist letter to the online casino and sportsbook, Bovada. The letter, sent to Harp Media B.V., the owner of Bovada, on the 26th of June, 2024, demands that the platform stop operating in West Virginia. In response, Bovada has begun restricting access to its services for players within the state, a development that could have a positive impact on the state's online casino revenue.

Offshore restrictions in effect

Bovada, a Costa Rica-based online casino and sportsbook, has been operating in numerous US states, including West Virginia, despite not being licensed in any of them. Before the cease-and-desist letter, Bovada actually had customers in 30 states, offering them an unregulated alternative to state-approved online gambling options.

This action by the West Virginia Lottery Commission follows a similar move by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, which issued its own cease-and-desist letter to Bovada in May. Both states provided Bovada with a 14-day period to comply with the request to cease operations. According to John Myers, Director of the West Virginia Lottery, Bovada has formally placed West Virginia to its list of states which are restricted, though there is still some uncertainty about the platform's full compliance.

Bovada full compliance still uncertain

In an email to SBC Americas, Myers indicated that while Bovada has begun restricting West Virginia residents, the platform's terms and conditions had not yet been updated to reflect the state's new restricted status. "However, their Terms and Conditions do not appear to have been updated to list West Virginia as of this writing," Myers explained. But he also noted that some accounts in West Virginia have been disabled, and affected users are being advised to contact Bovada's customer service for further information.

With the addition of West Virginia to its list of restricted states, Bovada now limits access to players in several states, including New Jersey, Nevada, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Delaware, Colorado, and now added to the roster, West Virginia. Meanwhile, Connecticut has also issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada, and Massachusetts is reportedly considering similar action against the offshore platform.

Restriction to have a positive impact in West Virginia

The decision to restrict Bovada's operations in West Virginia could have significant implications for the state's online gambling market. West Virginia offers a fully legal and regulated environment for online casino and sports betting, with multiple licensed operators providing services to residents. By pushing unregulated operators like Bovada out of the market, the state could see a boost in revenue as players turn to licensed platforms for their gambling needs.

West Virginia’s online casino revenue has been steadily growing, with the state benefiting from a competitive market that includes some of the industry's leading operators. The removal of Bovada from the equation could drive even more players to these legal platforms, further increasing the state's gambling revenue.

The full impact of this ban on Bovada will become clearer in the coming months as West Virginia reports its monthly online casino revenue figures. If the trend follows Michigan's experience, where similar regulatory action has led to increased market share for licensed operators, West Virginia could see a noticeable uptick in its online gambling revenue.