Add Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities' All-important Role
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[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)<br>The smiling faces of Paris Hilton and Ryan Seacrest made surprise looks before the Louisiana Senate for Friday's hearing on prohibited gambling.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>No, they weren't personally in attendance, but the world-famous celebrities were conspicuously included in a slide presentation on social and sweepstakes gambling establishments - the controversial sites using both totally free casino-style games and profitable prizes, such as cash, present cards or cryptocurrency. In one advertisement, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anyone can 'play for totally free,' while a crop-topped Hilton holds a chip for sweepstakes operator, Wow Vegas, in the other.<br>
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<br>The websites are simply 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar market that now finds itself besieged by suits. In the eyes of lots of video gaming corporations, not to point out claim complainants and state regulators, sweepstakes casinos serve as conventional casinos, just without the oversight, customer protections and tax laws. So not just can they prevent the high 24-percent federal [sports betting](https://netgork.com/read-blog/112755_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) levy, however sweepstakes operators aren't based on regulatory hurdles like [anti-money](https://afrocinema.org/read-blog/44872_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) laundering and responsible-gaming defenses.<br>
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<br>One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in income in 2015 alone. Now the business faces accusations of illegal gambling in a New york city claim that declares celeb endorsers to 'produce a veneer of legitimacy' around its item. (See VGW's declaration below)<br>
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<br>'I'm uncertain" if you do not trust us, you can rely on Paris Hilton" is a winning message for business operating multibillion-dollar prohibited operations out of places like Malta, Isle of Man, or US mail drops,' Friday's presenter, Howard Glaser of video gaming corporation Light & Wonder, told DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes endorsers include a variety of celebs from [sports betting](https://higgledy-piggledy.xyz/index.php/User:TitusWymer9) lovers Drake and DJ Khaled to swimmer Michael Phelps, in addition to NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George - none of whom use any distinctions in between traditional gambling and sweepstakes play.<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, among numerous sweepstakes gambling establishments discovered online<br>
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<br>Ryan Seacrest advises fans to play at Chumba Casino, where lots of - however not all - video games are complimentary<br>
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<br>Drake has a handle social sweeps casino, Stake, that he routinely touts on social media<br>
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<br>Find out more<br>
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<br>Instead, ads normally focus around the social aspect of the casinos, while leaving out the capacity for actual [sports betting](https://moonifie.com/read-blog/1424_how-are-betting-odds-calculated.html) losses.<br>
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<br>Others tempt clients with guarantees of rewards. One such operator, Stake, ran a social networks advertisement flaunting Drake's cars and trucks, aircrafts and mansions before rotating to video of the rap artist playing online casino-style video games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have a lot cash?' read the first caption on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another caption explained: 'Because I never quit.'<br>
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<br>The disparity in between gaming sites and social or sweepstakes casinos is a bit intricate, however operators of the latter insist they're not included with the previous.<br>
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<br>A spokesperson for a market trade group, the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA), described its members are not in direct competition with online gambling establishments and sportsbooks. Furthermore, according to SPGA information, many of the players on social-sweepstakes casinos are [sports betting](https://www.eruptz.com/read-blog/17598_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-us-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) complimentary.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps customers never make a purchase,' the SPGA representative informed DailyMail.com. 'The minority of consumers who make purchases do so in amounts far smaller than the typical deposit or bet size at real-money online gaming websites.'<br>
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<br>Social gambling establishments offer consumers a possibility to play casino-style video games with buddies. Players have the choice to buy valueless currency typically [referred](https://profesional.id/read-blog/132_start-winning-with-pcg-college-football-picks.html) to as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged genuine cash, but can be utilized to unlock different functions within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social casinos exists [sweepstakes](https://mixup.wiki/index.php/User:MeganHutcheon4) video gaming, allowing clients to obtain other currency understood as ['sweeps](https://app.deepsoul.es/read-blog/60_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-delay-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) coins' that can be exchanged for cash or other rewards.<br>
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<br>And therein lies the potential for financial losses, like the ones claimed by complainants in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York City. One gamer told the Washington Post he lost more than $100,000 on sweepstakes casinos in the previous year after continuing to purchase more coins in pursuit of money and other things of value.<br>
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<br>The Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George is seen promoting an International Poker event<br>
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<br>[Social sweeps](https://wiki.vst.hs-furtwangen.de/wiki/User:KandiCrump1835) casino Stake ran an ad displaying Drake's cars and trucks, planes and estates<br>
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<br>Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York City Knicks is another NBA star plugging VGW's Global Poker<br>
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<br>Traditional online gambling establishments are prohibited in all but 7 states, which has helped to sustain the appeal of sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes sites, which do not need generally require recognition. However, websites like Chumba will request for IDs from players attempting to withdraw any funds.<br>
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<br>Many sites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, enable customers to submit mail-in requests for totally free sweeps coins, offered the players follow painfully specific instructions. What's more, gamers are frequently rewarded with sweeps coins just for registering, therefore providing them a factor to try their hands at any variety of casino games for a possibility to win - or lose - genuine cash.<br>
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<br>So why are sweepstakes sites allowed to operate in 48 states, while online gambling establishments are prohibited in all however 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their product is the complimentary casino-style gaming, and the real-stakes competition is simply a means of promoting their support.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes games are merely a type of online entertainment,' an SPGA spokesperson told DailyMail.com by e-mail. 'No purchase is [required](https://wiki.whenparked.com/User:CheriMonette5) to dip into social gambling [establishments](https://projectblueberryserver.com/index.php/User:Gregory69F) with sweepstakes rewards. Consumers never have to pay for a chance to win prizes. That lack of a purchase requirement - or" consideration" - is a crucial distinction between social sweeps and standard online gambling sites like gambling establishments.'<br>
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<br>Think about the method that McDonald's utilizes its annual Monopoly game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, however rather they're purchasing hamburgers and fries that use them the possibility to win rewarding rewards, such as a $1 million jackpot.<br>
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<br>And without a purchase requirement, or 'factor to consider', the video game itself doesn't satisfy the definition of gaming in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are a long-standing approach for promoting all sort of [daily organizations](https://chat.app8station.com/read-blog/3411_the-ins-and-outs-of-betting-on-the-nfl-draft.html) in the United States, whatever from hamburgers to publication memberships to coffee and home enhancement shops,' the SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promotions are routinely utilized by a who's who of home names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'<br>
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<br>But to lots of [sports betting](https://fishtanklive.wiki/User:EmanuelDecicco0) industry experts, that argument doesn't cut it.<br>
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<br>For starters, video gaming attorney Daniel Wallach points out, McDonald's Monopoly video game doesn't run indefinitely. Rather, it has a well-defined beginning and end, thus suggesting the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's primary item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being utilized to promote genuine items like fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They do not last permanently and they're generally not connected to casino-style video games of opportunity,' Wallach informed DailyMail.com. 'They're just [money free](https://chowpatti.com/read-blog/22490_online-betting-firms-gamble-on-soccer-mad-nigeria.html) gifts.<br>
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<br>'The sweepstakes [gambling establishments] have none of the attributes typically connected with McDonald's-design sweepstakes promotions,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in all time, the sweepstakes gambling establishments provide" casino-like" payments, usually 80 percent or more of revenues, whereas the typical payout portion for a short-lived advertising sweepstakes is an insignificant share of the earnings earned by the business [normally less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach is quick to liken the online social sweeps casinos to the internet coffee shops that sprang up in Florida, providing customers the chance to play casino-style video games for genuine rewards. A number of those brick-and-mortar facilities have because been shuttered over allegations of illegal [sports betting](https://iochats.com/read-blog/29286_exploring-the-sports-betting-industry-putting-ideas-into-practice.html).<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is amongst several star spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand name<br>
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<br>Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps gambling establishments should deal with similar analysis.<br>
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<br>'These distinctions are not arbitrary,' Wallach stated of social sweeps casinos. 'They have actually repeatedly been cited by courts and state chief law officer as key consider determining that a sweepstakes promotion remained in truth a guise for illegal gaming.'<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>Among the gambling establishment market's leading trade companies, the American Gaming Association, is now pressing lawmakers to investigate sweepstakes operators and, in many cases, enact brand-new legislation on the concern.<br>
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<br>'Consumers are being deprived of protections and states are giving up substantial tax and income opportunities as this gambling replaces that performed through regulated channels,' checked out a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And after that there are the complainants who have actually taken [legal action](https://younivix.com/read-blog/29923_how-are-betting-odds-calculated.html) against social casinos in more than a lots states.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes casino operators paid a combined $14.2 million in 4 different cases in Kentucky without confessing any wrongdoing, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW agreed to pay $11.75 million in one class-action lawsuit, stating the settlement was made to prevent legal expenses and continued litigation.<br>
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<br>Michael Phelps has signed a deal with the VGW Group, which owns Global Poker<br>
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<br>In the newest lawsuit, which is largely comparable to its predecessors, New york city state homeowners Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both declare to have actually lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is explained in the filing as an 'illegal gaming enterprise. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have also been named as defendants in suits for hosting the sweepstakes websites. But unlike VGW, neither tech business reacted to DailyMail.com's request for remark.<br>
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<br>'We generally don't comment on matters before the courts,' a VGW spokesperson informed DailyMail.com by means of e-mail. 'However, we keep in mind that this claim has only simply been filed with the court and VGW has actually not been formally served.<br>
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<br>'We have complete self-confidence in our [compliance](https://letustalk.co.in/read-blog/11521_how-are-betting-odds-calculated.html) with all laws and policies where we run, and stay positive about the future,' the [representative continued](https://chatkc.com/read-blog/470_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html). 'We continue to provide our free-to-play video games across most of The United States and Canada, as we have for more than a decade, developing not only fantastic games, user experiences and entertainment, however also ensuring this is done securely, responsibly and at the greatest level of requirements.<br>
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<br>'More broadly, we 'd reiterate that class actions and other litigations and arbitrations are relatively typical across the online social games industry (and the US more broadly), and our basic practice is that we plan to intensely defend any claim which may be brought versus us.'<br>
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<br>The concerns in between standard online gaming and sweepstakes gambling establishments could show bothersome for some celeb endorsers.<br>
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<br>Towns, a star center with the Knicks, and the 76ers' George both endorse VGW's Global Poker brand while the NBA is partnered with traditional video gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's paradoxical that expert athletes are [hawking unlawful](http://ringturbine.com80/index.php/User:Kerri94V956712) [sports betting](https://kiigasofthub.com/read-blog/10106_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-hold-up-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) 'sweeps' websites while at the very same time the leagues wish to forecast a strong position against prohibited gambling - specifically when trying to tamp down the occasional [sports betting](https://collegetalks.site/read-blog/11769_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-delay-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) scandal,' Glaser informed DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was simply eight months ago that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a life time ban from the NBA over allegations he conspired with bettors. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unrelated to anything including social or sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>In addition to VGW, Apple and Google are being taken legal action against for hosting presumably illegal [sports betting](http://archmageriseswiki.com/index.php/User:Anya08A79785728) sites<br>
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<br>Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes gambling establishments as a major issue for leagues such as the NBA.<br>
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<br>'I 'd expect that a league crackdown on athletes backing [sweepstakes websites](https://social.stssconstruction.com/read-blog/21040_how-much-are-americans-spending-on-sports-betting.html) refers when, not if,' Glaser included.<br>
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<br>Neither an NBA spokesman nor the gamers' agents responded to DailyMail.com's demands for remark. For that matter, spokespeople for Drake, DJ Khaled, Hilton, Seacrest and Phelps likewise ignored to react to DailyMail.com emails.<br>
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<br>Asked if their celeb endorsers have a duty to explain to clients the distinctions and resemblances in between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW insisted there is absolutely nothing more that requires to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have complete self-confidence in our influencer and ambassadorial collaborations, and our organization practices more broadly,' the spokesperson said. 'A few of our worths are" our gamers precede" and" we do what's right", and we put our values at the core of everything we do.'<br>
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<br>Glaser, an outspoken challenger of sweepstakes websites, sees things differently.<br>[bit.ly](https://bit.ly/AviatorGameOnlineBET9JA)
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<br>'Celebrities who [provide](https://sabiile.com/read-blog/2115_the-ins-and-outs-of-betting-on-the-nfl-draft.html) their names to shady illegal [sports betting](https://miggoo.com.br/read-blog/2665_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) sites are, at a minimum, putting their track records at threat as well as courting civil and class actions by consumers who allege damage,' Glaser stated. 'There is also some threat that state regulators and state attorney generals of the United States rope celebrity endorsers into [enforcement efforts](https://www.drawlfest.com/read-blog/13737_the-ins-and-outs-of-betting-on-the-nfl-draft.html) for assisting in prohibited [sports betting](https://www.drawlfest.com/read-blog/13685_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html).'<br>
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