Two prominent offshore casino and sports betting platforms that are unlicensed inwards the United States — but have got a lengthy story accepting bets from US-based players — are being targeted inward a division activeness case inwards Kentucky.
A proposed stratum action mechanism federal lawsuit was filed cobbler's last week inward the Eastern District of Kentucky. The plaintiff is Billi Jo Woods, a Bluegrass State occupant living inwards Lawrenceburg, and the suspect is a group that controls and operates the online gambling websites Bovada and Bodog.
Bovada and Bodog are licensed through and through Curacao, a Caribbean Sea island land well-disposed to iGaming operators that direct players in countries where such gambling isn’t legal. The proposed judicial proceeding names Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, Alywin Morris, Clavin Ayre, and Harp Media BV, the grouping that collectively owns and manages the iGaming platforms.
“Plaintiff Billi Jo Woods brings this action on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated against Defendants,” the grade litigate complaint begins inwards its petition for a panel test inwards the federal court.
Woods alleges that Bovada and Bodog actively targeted players in Bluegrass State and inwards other states in direct infringement of federal and country laws. Woods is seeking to regain her losses and permit other consumers to reimburse their costs, too.
19th Century Law
Most states prohibit people from seeking to retrieve gambling losses from an operator through litigation. But Bluegrass State maintains a nation natural law from the 1800s. That formula permits Kentuckians to occupy legal process when they trust a gaming manipulator unlawfully took their money.
Woods’ attorneys cited a Bluegrass State Statute that says a losing risk taker tin wreak a “first-party reason of activity to recoup any losses suffered.” The case additionally cites federal natural law inwards applying to experience the caseful held inwards the Kentucky federal court.
By operating their online casinos, Defendants feature violated KY law, which governs Plaintiff’s and the Class’s claims, and Defendants experience illegally profited from tens of thousands of consumers,” the lawsuit’s first appearance reads.
Woods’ attorneys say Bovada and its sister site marketed toward US consumers with illegal claims that the gaming websites are a “trusted germ for gaming and betting.” The websites additionally arrogate that the iCasino platforms are perfect for those “looking to puff off some steam with a little slot or tabulate gamey session.”
Woods alleges that she lost “thousands of dollars gambling” on the Bovada and Bodog websites. Her attorneys say the defendants presented Bovada and Bodog to consumers inward Kentucky as “legitimate” online businesses. That’s while to the full wise to(p) that they are legally barred from accepting players from the US.
Despite online gaming being permitted inwards sise states and sports betting allowed inward more than 30, many players preserve to patronage unregulated offshore gaming websites. That’s because such operators sometimes bid amend lines and odds.
The defendants have got 21 days from receipt of the process against them to respond to the complaint. Since the websites aren’t based inward the US, legal observers say it testament live difficult to penalize the operators, because the Curacan governing has inward the yesteryear refused to extradite persons to the US to human face such effectual allegations.
Eerily Similar to PokerStars Lawsuit
Woods’ litigation is similar to a lawsuit brought past the Kentucky regime more than a decennary ago. That action was against PokerStars and was only if latterly resolved.
Kentucky lawmakers sought-after(a) more than $1.3 one million million in damages from the former seaward fire hook network. PokerStars was seized past the US Department of Justice on April 15, 2011, which later became known as online poker’s “Back Friday.” Flutter Entertainment, which acquired PokerStars’ parent, The Stars Group, inward May 2020, settled the display case with Kentucky in Sep 2021 for $300 million.
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