Add Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities' All-important Role
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[bit.ly](https://bit.ly/Bet9jaPromotionCodeYOHAIG)<br>The smiling faces of Paris Hilton and Ryan Seacrest made surprise appearances before the Louisiana Senate for Friday's hearing on unlawful gaming.<br>
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<br>No, they weren't personally in presence, however the [world-famous stars](http://wiki.faramirfiction.com/index.php?title=User:BriannaRanking) were [notably consisted](http://wiki-tb-service.com/index.php?title=Benutzer:AbigailNewell5) of in a slide presentation on social and sweepstakes gambling establishments - the controversial websites [providing](https://krazzykross.com/read-blog/1513_enhance-your-business-opportunities-with-efficient-sports-apps.html) both free casino-style games and lucrative prizes, such as cash, present cards or cryptocurrency. In one ad, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anybody can 'play for complimentary,' while a crop-topped Hilton holds a chip for sweepstakes operator, Wow Vegas, in the other.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>The sites are just two cogs in the multibillion-dollar industry that now discovers itself besieged by lawsuits. In the eyes of many video gaming corporations, not to discuss suit complainants and state regulators, sweepstakes gambling establishments function as traditional casinos, only without the oversight, consumer securities and tax laws. So not only can they avoid the high 24-percent federal [sports betting](https://voggisper.com/read-blog/1228_score-big-wins-how-sports-betting-software-drives-growth-and-engagement.html) levy, but sweepstakes operators aren't based on regulatory hurdles like anti-money laundering and responsible-gaming protections.<br>
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<br>One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in revenue last year alone. Now the company deals with accusations of [illegal gaming](https://whoosmind.com/read-blog/33260_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) in a New York lawsuit that declares VGW uses celebrity endorsers to 'develop a veneer of legitimacy' around its item. (See VGW's statement listed below)<br>
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<br>'I'm not sure" if you do not trust us, you can rely on Paris Hilton" is a winning message for companies operating multibillion-dollar unlawful operations out of [locations](https://tartar.app/read-blog/1676_sport-betting-industry-wants-to-protect-itself.html) like Malta, Isle of Man, or US mail drops,' Friday's presenter, Howard Glaser of gaming corporation Light & Wonder, informed DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes endorsers include a variety of celebrities from [sports betting](https://oolibuzz.com/read-blog/41665_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-delay-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) 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 between traditional gaming and sweepstakes play.<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, among numerous sweepstakes casinos discovered online<br>
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<br>Ryan Seacrest prompts fans to dip into Chumba Casino, where numerous - however not all - video games are complimentary<br>
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<br>Drake has a handle social sweeps gambling establishment, Stake, that he frequently promotes on social networks<br>
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<br>Find out more<br>
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<br>Donald Trump 'set to name NBA group owner as US ambassador to Italy'<br>
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<br>Instead, advertisements normally center around the social element of the casinos, while leaving out the capacity for real gaming losses.<br>
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<br>Others lure clients with pledges of rewards. One such operator, Stake, ran a social media advertisement displaying Drake's automobiles, planes and mansions before pivoting to video footage of the rapper playing online casino-style games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have so much money?' read the very first caption on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another caption described: 'Because I never ever provided up.'<br>
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<br>The discrepancy between gaming sites and social or sweepstakes casinos is a bit complex, however operators of the latter insist they're not involved with the former.<br>
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<br>A representative for an industry trade group, the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA), explained 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://miderde.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:Junior83E61) free.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps consumers never make a purchase,' the SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com. 'The minority of customers who make purchases do so in quantities far smaller sized than the common deposit or wager size at real-money online [sports betting](https://wooshbit.com/read-blog/18772_the-ins-and-outs-of-betting-on-the-nfl-draft.html) sites.'<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>Social gambling establishments provide customers a chance to play casino-style games with pals. Players have the choice to buy worthless currency often referred to as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged genuine cash, but can be used to unlock different functions within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social casinos exists sweepstakes gaming, enabling customers to obtain other currency called 'sweeps coins' that can be exchanged for money or other rewards.<br>
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<br>And therein lies the capacity for financial losses, like the ones declared by complainants in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York. One player told the Washington Post he lost more than $100,000 on sweepstakes gambling establishments in the past 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 a Worldwide Poker occasion<br>
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<br>Social sweeps gambling [establishment](https://truthbook.social/read-blog/8702_sport-betting-industry-wants-to-protect-itself.html) Stake ran an ad displaying Drake's vehicles, aircrafts and mansions<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 casinos are prohibited in all however seven states, which has helped to sustain the appeal of sweepstakes casinos.<br>
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<br>Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes websites, which don't require generally require identification. However, [websites](https://wiki.tld-wars.space/index.php/Utilisateur:EXOLovie55) like Chumba will ask for IDs from players attempting to [withdraw](https://chateando.net/read-blog/219_how-to-withdraw-from-bet9ja-8-step-guide-to-money-in-your-wins.html) any funds.<br>
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<br>Many sites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, permit consumers to submit mail-in ask for complimentary sweeps coins, offered the players follow painfully specific directions. What's more, players are with sweeps coins simply for registering, thus providing a factor to attempt their hands at any number of casino games for a possibility to win - or lose - genuine cash.<br>
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<br>So why are sweepstakes sites permitted to run in 48 states, while online casinos are prohibited in all however 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their item is the complimentary casino-style gaming, and the real-stakes competition is merely a means of [promoting](https://disgaeawiki.info/index.php/User:Alexander1270) their bread and butter.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes video games are merely a form of online entertainment,' an SPGA spokesperson told DailyMail.com by e-mail. 'No purchase is needed to dip into social casinos with sweepstakes rewards. Consumers never have to spend for a chance to win prizes. That lack of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is a vital difference between social sweeps and traditional online gambling websites like casinos.'<br>
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<br>Think about the method that McDonald's uses its annual Monopoly game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, however rather they're buying hamburgers and fries that offer them the chance to win profitable rewards, such as a $1 million prize.<br>
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<br>And without a purchase requirement, or 'factor to consider', the game itself does not fulfill the meaning of gaming in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are an enduring technique for promoting all sort of everyday services in the United States, everything from burgers to publication subscriptions to coffee and home enhancement shops,' the SPGA representative informed DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promotions are routinely used by a who's who of household names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'<br>
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<br>But to many gambling industry insiders, that argument doesn't cut it.<br>
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<br>For starters, video gaming lawyer Daniel Wallach explains, McDonald's Monopoly game doesn't run forever. Rather, it has a distinct start and end, thus recommending the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's primary item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being used to [promote real](http://classicalmusicmp3freedownload.com/ja/index.php?title=%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E8%80%85:BelleJeffery4) products like fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They do not last permanently and they're usually not connected to casino-style games of opportunity,' Wallach informed DailyMail.com. 'They're just cash giveaways.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>'The sweepstakes [gambling establishments] possess none of the characteristics commonly associated with McDonald's-design sweepstakes promotions,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in eternity, the sweepstakes casinos offer" casino-like" payouts, generally 80 percent or more of revenues, whereas the typical payout portion for a short-term promotional sweepstakes is a minor share of the earnings made by the business [normally less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach fasts to liken the online social sweeps gambling establishments to the web cafes that emerged in Florida, offering consumers the chance to play casino-style games for real prizes. Much of those brick-and-mortar facilities have actually considering that been shuttered over claims of unlawful [sports betting](https://cheere.org/read-blog/36302_things-you-need-to-understand-about-rafting-adventures.html).<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is amongst several star spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand<br>
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<br>Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps gambling establishments should face similar scrutiny.<br>
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<br>'These differences are not approximate,' Wallach stated of social sweeps gambling establishments. 'They have repeatedly been pointed out by courts and state attorney general of the United States as essential factors in identifying that a sweepstakes promotion was in fact a guise for unlawful gaming.'<br>
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<br>Among the gambling establishment industry's leading trade organizations, the American Gaming Association, is now pressing legislators to examine sweepstakes operators and, in some cases, enact new legislation on the concern.<br>
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<br>'Consumers are being denied of securities and states are forgoing significant tax and profits chances as this gaming changes that conducted through managed channels,' read a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And after that there are the plaintiffs who have taken [legal action](https://connectingsparks.com/read-blog/25062_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) against social gambling establishments in more than a dozen states.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes casino operators paid a combined $14.2 million in 4 different cases in Kentucky without admitting any wrongdoing, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW concurred to pay $11.75 million in one class-action lawsuit, stating the settlement was made to avoid legal expenses and continued lawsuits.<br>
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<br>Michael Phelps has signed an offer with the VGW Group, which owns Global Poker<br>
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<br>In the current claim, which is mostly similar to its predecessors, New York state locals Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both claim to have lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is explained in the filing as an 'illegal [sports betting](https://bytes-the-dust.com/index.php/User:LaurenRegalado) enterprise. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have likewise been named as accuseds in claims for hosting the sweepstakes sites. But unlike VGW, neither tech company responded to DailyMail.com's ask for remark.<br>
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<br>'We normally don't [discuss matters](https://usvs.ms/read-blog/796_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-united-states-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) before the courts,' a VGW spokesperson told DailyMail.com by means of e-mail. 'However, we note that this claim has only simply been filed with the court and VGW has not been formally served.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://landing.bet9ja.com/aviator-bet9ja?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>'We have full confidence in our compliance with all laws and guidelines where we run, and remain confident about the future,' the representative continued. 'We continue to use our free-to-play games across most of The United States and Canada, as we have for more than a years, developing not only terrific video games, user experiences and home entertainment, however also ensuring this is done safely, responsibly and at the greatest level of requirements.<br>
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<br>'More broadly, we 'd restate that class actions and other litigations and arbitrations are fairly common throughout the online social video games market (and the US more broadly), and our basic practice is that we intend to intensely protect any claim which might be brought against us.'<br>
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<br>The problems between standard online gambling and sweepstakes gambling establishments could show problematic for some star endorsers.<br>
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<br>Towns, a star center with the Knicks, and the 76ers' George both [endorse VGW's](https://wiki.vst.hs-furtwangen.de/wiki/User:FlossieStapley1) Global Poker brand while the NBA is partnered with conventional video gaming titans like [FanDuel](https://bytes-the-dust.com/index.php/User:MargeryKroeger7) and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's paradoxical that [professional](http://wiki-tb-service.com/index.php?title=Benutzer:Jennifer51X) athletes are hawking unlawful [sports betting](https://bytes-the-dust.com/index.php/User:MargeryKroeger7) wagering 'sweeps' websites while at the very same time the leagues wish to forecast a strong stance versus unlawful gaming - especially when attempting to tamp down the periodic gaming scandal,' Glaser informed DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was just 8 months ago that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter got a life time restriction from the NBA over claims he conspired with gamblers. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unrelated to anything involving social or sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Along with VGW, Apple and Google are being sued for hosting allegedly illegal gambling websites<br>
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<br>Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes casinos as a significant concern for leagues such as the NBA.<br>
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<br>'I 'd expect that a league crackdown on athletes backing sweepstakes websites is a matter of when, not if,' Glaser added.<br>
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<br>Neither an NBA spokesman nor the gamers' agents reacted 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 discuss to customers the [distinctions](http://touringtreffen.nl/read-blog/2370_compare-amp-review-oddsjet-de.html) and resemblances between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW firmly insisted there is absolutely nothing more that needs to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have full self-confidence in our influencer and ambassadorial partnerships, and our business practices more broadly,' the spokesperson said. 'Some of our values are" our players come first" 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>
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<br>['Celebrities](https://genzkenya.co.ke/read-blog/90_score-big-wins-how-sports-betting-software-drives-growth-and-engagement.html) who lend their names to shady illegal gaming websites are, at a minimum, putting their [credibilities](https://surgiteams.com/index.php/User:PhyllisBaley7) at danger as well as courting civil and class actions by [consumers](https://ai.ceo/read-blog/244282_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) who declare damage,' Glaser stated. 'There is likewise some threat that state regulators and state attorneys general [rope star](https://bbarlock.com/index.php/User:BeatrisK33) endorsers into enforcement efforts for facilitating prohibited gambling.'<br>
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