Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is threatening legal action against more than a dozen gambling websites that he says violate Minnesota law.
In June, the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety sent letters to 14 websites, listed below, that either allow users to use virtual coins to play casino games or offer sports betting, poker and other gambling and directed them to stop offering their services to Minnesotans.
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After none of the websites took action to remove access in Minnesota, Ellison’s office followed up with a second round of letters this week informing them they are violating state consumer protection laws.
“Online platforms offering sportsbooks and casino games run by out-of-state and overseas operators may make it look as though online gambling is legal and safe in Minnesota, but let me be clear: it is not,” Ellison said in a statement. “Trying to rebrand poker chips as virtual currencies does not change the fact that these online gambling operations are unlawful. By continuing to operate online gambling sites in Minnesota, these operators are likely openly defying our State’s laws and I will not stand for it.”
Ellison also raised concerns about the unregulated environment of these websites, which often lack age verification mechanisms or accountability measures to ensure winnings are paid out.
The Attorney General’s Office gave the 14 websites a Dec. 1 deadline to comply or face lawsuits that could result in fines of up to $25,000 per violation. Those 14 sites are:
- VG LuckyLand
- Zula Casino
- Fortune Coins
- BetAnySports
- BetUs
- XBet
- BetNow
- BetWhale
- EveryGame Sportsbook
- BetOnline
- Slotsandcasino
- Bovada
- MyBookie.com
- Sportsbetting.com
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