- Jake’s 58 says an online casino ad running in New York is fraudulent
- Offshore gaming websites continue to illegally use legitimate casinos’ likenesses in online ads
- iGaming is legal in only seven states
Land-based casinos operating in states where online slots and table games aren’t permitted continue to battle rogue offshore gaming websites masquerading as legitimate platforms. That situation has grown so dire that offshore entities are copying brick-and-mortar casino brands and using their likeness in social media posts.
The latest target is Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel on New York’s Long Island. The casino that offers slot-like video lottery terminals (VLTs) and electronic table games warned the public that social media posts advertising online gaming through Jake’s are fraudulent.
Please be advised Jake’s 58 does not offer any form of online gambling and we are not affiliated with any websites, apps, or platforms claiming to offer such services. These claims are part of a scam designed to mislead and potentially harm users,” a notice to the Jake’s 58 website read.
The casino, owned and operated by Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., added that the use of its logos, photos, and branding is unauthorized.
Growing Problem
Offshore gambling outfits, which often operate from countries and territories friendly to iGaming like Malta, the Isle of Man, Anjouan, Gibraltar, Curacao, the Philippines, and Ukraine, have become more brazen in their marketing. Numerous casinos across the United States have reported issues with their branding and other likenesses being stolen into ads for illegal online gaming enterprises.
Such offshore gaming websites, though typically licensed through a host country, come with few safeguards for players. Customers who gamble on an illegal gambling platform have little recourse should a winning bet not be paid or an account withdrawal not be executed. Illegal casinos aren’t monitored for fair play and don’t usually encourage responsible gaming.
“If anybody in New York State is asking you to bet on poker, blackjack, or any slot-type machines on your computer, it’s illegal and you can’t do it,” said Suffolk OTB President and CEO Phil Boyle. “It’s a scam. They’re going to take your money.”
The Golden Nugget Casino in Danville, Ill. experienced a similar problem after social media posts for a newly launched Golden Nugget Online Casino in the state began popping up. The ad offered Facebook users 150 free spins for signing up with the offshore casino.
In Virginia, social media feeds showed a fraudulent ad for a Caesars-branded online casino. iGaming is prohibited in Virginia. Caesars Entertainment opened its Caesars Virginia property in Danville last December.
In February, Massachusetts’ Plainridge Park Casino warned the public about a fraudulent online gaming ad using its likeness. MGM’s Beau Rivage issued a similar warning about a bogus post claiming its casino is online in Mississippi.
The activity has also spread to tribal casinos, with fraudulent online casino ads for Ho-Chunk Gaming in Wisconsin and Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Washington.
iGaming Only Allowed in Seven States
While online sports betting is legal and regulated in 33 states and Washington, DC, iGaming remains confined to only seven. Unless you’re of the state’s legal gaming age and physically located in Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or West Virginia, gambling on a slot or table game via the internet is illegal.
Controversial websites billing themselves as “sweepstakes” platforms continue to seek workarounds to allow consumers to gamble on slots and table games where such gaming isn’t legal. Many state gaming regulators and attorneys general have recently sent dozens of cease-and-desist directives to such platforms.
The post Casinos Where iGaming Isn’t Allowed Caution Public About Fraudulent Ads appeared first on Casino.org.
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