Florida becomes latest to go after offshore gambling operators

Florida has become the latest state to make a move against the offshore gambling sector in the United States, with the local regulator issuing a warning against multiple companies it deemed to have breached local laws, including those pertaining to gambling.

Florida goes aftera trio of offshore gambling sites

Specifically, the Florida Gaming Control Commission sent letters to three operators on Monday, urging them to stop offering their betting and gaming products on the territory of the state.

The watchdog named Gaming Services Provider, N.V., Harp Media B.V. and Milvus Ltc, operators of MyBookie, Bovada, and BetUS respectively. The letters outlined the activity conducted by the companies as illegal and named both sports and horse race betting, including markets such as props, totals, moneylines, and point spreads among the offenses.

The letters cited Florida Statute § 849.14 of the state law, which specifically sets the groundwork for what gambling activities are allowed and prohibited. The regulator said that it was illegal to receive illegal wagers on the results of any trial or contest of skill, among other things.

Florida Gaming Control Commission Executive Director Ross Marshan released a statement in which he also criticized these websites’ casino offer, explaining that it too was illegal, and adding that the only state-licensed businesses offering slots were only 14 slot gaming locations in the state.

"The only online sportsbook operating lawfully in Florida is the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hard Rock Bet. Anyone in Florida betting on the Big Game needs to know this. Bettor beware," Marshan added.

Florida has joined a number of other states to have taken a similar course of action against offshore gambling sites which the United States is increasingly keen on targeting. Just recently, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has gone after MyBookie.ag in a separate case.

Regulators across the US are increasingly targeting the biggest offshore markets

The regulator threatened that a refusal to comply with an initially set 14-day period would result in the regulator bringing in the state’s Attorney General’s Office.

Offshore gambling sites have faced unprecedented pressure in the United States and companies such as BetOnline and Bovada have been named by what is already dozens of states.

This reflects a broader trend of regulatory growing teeth and having a more robust understanding of the unregulated market and how it operates. To the credit of offshore gambling companies, the majority has already complied with these requests.

Yet, Florida is not going to be the last such news we hear about.

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