The Arizona Department of Gaming is now part of a nationwide trend of gambling regulators going after individual unlicensed websites, and it comes at a time when attorneys general and private sector players have called on the US Department of Justice to do more to limit the reach of offshore gambling operations in the United States.
Arizona bans four new platforms, claiming they breach gambling laws
Details about the latest enforcement action were published on the Arizona Department of Gaming’s official page, which identified four websites that the regulator said were offering access to illegal online gambling platforms, including sweepstakes.
The websites in question include Fliff Online Gambling, Thrillzz Mobile Gaming, and BettySweeps Casino and Pulsz Casino, as per the regulator’s official press release. The watchdog said that the platforms were in breach of the local gambling laws of Arizona and have therefore been asked to cease all operations on the territory of the state.
The Department similarly issued a warning to consumers, arguing that many online gaming and gambling platforms that are accessible to people in the state may not be licensed or regulated. These platforms, the regulator added, exposed users to significant risks, including but not limited to fraud, identity theft, financial loss, and more.
Regulatory crackdown continues as offshore market soars
Regulators all over the country have begun to crack down on what they deem to be illegal gambling operators, with Arizona just one of the states to do so. At the same time, the American Gaming Association estimates that $671bn is wagered with offshore gambling operators.
Michigan has been among the most active states to target the so-called illegal gambling sector, although some of the companies to have ended up on the regulator’s blocking list have insisted that they are not breaching the law.
Regardless, they have complied, and at the same time, offshore gambling continues to be a present-day issue for the regulated market in the United States. Private sector companies such as Xpoint have also recently urged for tougher measures against the offshore sector.
