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 unlawful gaming.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>No, they weren't personally in presence, but the world-famous stars were notably consisted of in a slide presentation on social and sweepstakes casinos - the questionable sites using both complimentary casino-style games and lucrative prizes, such as cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency. In one advertisement, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anyone can 'bet complimentary,' while a [crop-topped Hilton](https://meta.mactan.com.br/read-blog/24938_online-betting-firms-gamble-on-soccer-mad-nigeria.html) 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 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar market that now discovers itself besieged by claims. In the eyes of many gaming corporations, not to mention lawsuit plaintiffs and state regulators, sweepstakes casinos act as traditional gambling establishments, just without the oversight, customer defenses and tax laws. So not only can they avoid the steep 24-percent federal [sports betting](https://loveyou.az/read-blog/17451_how-fantasy-betting-app-development-companies-and-sports-developers.html) levy, but sweepstakes operators aren't based on regulative difficulties like anti-money laundering and responsible-gaming securities.<br>
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<br>One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in income last year alone. Now the business faces accusations of illegal gaming in a New york city lawsuit that declares VGW uses star endorsers to 'create a veneer of authenticity' around its item. (See VGW's declaration 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 business running multibillion-dollar prohibited operations out of places 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](https://catvcommunity.com.tr/read-blog/4500_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-hold-up-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) of celebs from [sports betting](https://coptr.digipres.org/index.php/User:CaryEricson85) lovers Drake and DJ Khaled to swimmer Michael Phelps, along with NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George - none of whom provide any differences in between traditional gambling and sweepstakes play.<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen [plugging](https://forum.subchems.com/read-blog/3813_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-delay-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) Wow Vegas, one of many sweepstakes gambling establishments found online<br>
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<br>Ryan Seacrest urges fans to play at Chumba Casino, where many - however not all - video games are totally free<br>
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<br>Drake has an offer with social sweeps gambling establishment, Stake, that he routinely promotes on social media<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>Find out more<br>
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<br>Donald Trump 'set to call NBA group owner as US ambassador to Italy'<br>
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<br>Instead, advertisements typically center around the social aspect of the casinos, while leaving out the capacity for real gambling losses.<br>
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<br>Others lure clients with guarantees of rewards. One such operator, Stake, ran a social networks advertisement displaying Drake's cars and trucks, aircrafts and estates before rotating to video footage of the rap artist playing online casino-style games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have so much money?' check out the first caption on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another caption described: 'Because I never provided up.'<br>
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<br>The disparity in between gaming websites and social or sweepstakes gambling establishments is a bit complicated, however operators of the latter insist they're not included with the previous.<br>
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<br>A representative for an industry 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 data, many of the players on social-sweepstakes casinos are playing for totally free.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps customers never ever make a purchase,' the SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com. ['The minority](https://trackrecord.id/read-blog/1809_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) of consumers who make purchases do so in quantities far smaller sized than the normal deposit or wager size at real-money online [sports betting](https://mensaceuta.com/read-blog/9176_warner-bros-discovery-sets-stage-for-potential-cable-deal-by.html) websites.'<br>
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<br>Social casinos use clients a possibility to play casino-style video games with pals. Players have the alternative to purchase worthless currency frequently described as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged for genuine money, but can be used to open numerous features within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social casinos exists sweepstakes gaming, enabling consumers to acquire other currency referred to as 'sweeps coins' that can be exchanged for money or other prizes.<br>
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<br>And therein lies the capacity for monetary losses, like the ones declared by plaintiffs 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 a Worldwide Poker event<br>
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<br>Social sweeps gambling establishment Stake ran an ad flaunting Drake's vehicles, aircrafts and estates<br>
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<br>Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is another NBA star [plugging VGW's](https://sotawiki.net/sota/User:DKKAlissa10210) Global Poker<br>
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<br>Traditional online gambling establishments are prohibited in all but 7 states, which has actually assisted to sustain the appeal of sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes websites, which don't require typically need recognition. However, sites like Chumba will request IDs from gamers attempting to withdraw any funds.<br>
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<br>Many websites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, enable clients to submit mail-in requests for free sweeps coins, offered the gamers follow painfully particular instructions. What's more, gamers are often rewarded with sweeps coins merely for registering, consequently giving them 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 allowed to operate in 48 states, while [online gambling](https://tripta.social/read-blog/1494_sport-betting-industry-looks-to-protect-itself.html) establishments are prohibited in all but 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their product is the free casino-style video gaming, and the real-stakes competitors is merely a means of promoting their support.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes [video games](http://classicalmusicmp3freedownload.com/ja/index.php?title=%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E8%80%85:BrettUeb097) are just a kind of online home entertainment,' an SPGA representative .com by e-mail. 'No purchase is needed to dip into social gambling establishments with sweepstakes prizes. Consumers never ever have to spend for an opportunity to win rewards. That lack of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is a crucial difference in between social sweeps and conventional online gaming sites like gambling establishments.'<br>
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<br>Consider the manner in which McDonald's uses its annual Monopoly game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to bet, but rather they're buying hamburgers and fries that use them the possibility to win financially rewarding rewards, such as a $1 million prize.<br>
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<br>And without a purchase requirement, or 'consideration', the game itself doesn't fulfill the meaning of gambling in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are a long-standing approach for promoting all sort of [daily services](https://vibrantclubs.com/read-blog/11098_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html) in the United States, everything from hamburgers to magazine subscriptions to coffee and home improvement 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 lots of gambling market experts, that argument does not cut it.<br>
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<br>For beginners, video gaming attorney Daniel Wallach explains, McDonald's Monopoly game doesn't run indefinitely. Rather, it has a well-defined start and end, thereby recommending the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's primary item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being utilized to promote real products like french fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They don't last permanently and they're normally not connected to casino-style video games of possibility,' Wallach told DailyMail.com. 'They're just money free gifts.<br>
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<br>'The sweepstakes [gambling establishments] possess none of the characteristics typically connected with McDonald's-style sweepstakes promotions,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in eternity, the sweepstakes casinos use" casino-like" payouts, usually 80 percent or more of incomes, whereas the common payment percentage for a [momentary advertising](https://kiigasofthub.com/read-blog/10069_how-to-play-bet9ja-online.html) sweepstakes is an insignificant share of the earnings earned by the company [usually less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach fasts to compare the online social sweeps gambling establishments to the web cafes that sprang up in Florida, providing customers the possibility to play casino-style video games for real rewards. A number of those brick-and-mortar facilities have considering that been shuttered over accusations of illegal [sports betting](http://titotit.com/xe/?document_srl=723238).<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is amongst numerous celeb spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand<br>
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<br>Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps casinos ought to deal with similar analysis.<br>
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<br>'These differences are not approximate,' Wallach said of social [sweeps casinos](https://my.beninwebtv.com/read-blog/120_things-you-need-to-learn-about-rafting-adventures.html). 'They have consistently been cited by courts and state attorney general of the United States as crucial factors in figuring out that a sweepstakes promotion remained in fact a guise for illegal gambling.'<br>
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<br>One of the gambling establishment market's leading trade organizations, the American Gaming Association, is now pressing legislators 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 forgoing considerable tax and profits chances as this gaming replaces that performed through managed channels,' checked out a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And then there are the complainants who have taken legal action 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 separate cases in Kentucky without confessing any wrongdoing, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW consented 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 a handle the VGW Group, which owns Global Poker<br>
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<br>In the most current lawsuit, which is mostly similar to its predecessors, New York state residents Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both claim to have lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is described in the filing as an 'unlawful [sports betting](https://ozoms.com/read-blog/10736_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) enterprise. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have actually likewise been called as defendants in suits for hosting the sweepstakes sites. But unlike VGW, neither tech business responded to DailyMail.com's ask for comment.<br>
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<br>'We generally do not comment on matters before the courts,' a VGW representative told DailyMail.com by means of e-mail. 'However, we note that this claim has only just been filed with the court and VGW has actually not been officially served.<br>
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<br>'We have full confidence in our compliance with all laws and policies where we operate, and stay positive about the future,' the spokesperson continued. 'We continue to offer our free-to-play video games across the majority of The United States and Canada, as we have for more than a decade, producing not only terrific games, user experiences and home entertainment, but also guaranteeing 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 lawsuits and arbitrations are reasonably common across the online social games market (and the US more broadly), and our basic practice is that we mean to intensely protect any claim which might be brought versus us.'<br>
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<br>The concerns in between conventional online [sports betting](https://wooshbit.com/read-blog/18766_how-to-attract-users-to-my-fantasy-sports-platform.html) and sweepstakes casinos could prove problematic for some star endorsers.<br>
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<br>Towns, a star center with the Knicks, and the 76ers' George both back VGW's Global Poker brand while the NBA is partnered with conventional video gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's paradoxical that expert athletes are hawking illegal [sports betting](https://socialsmerch.com/read-blog/10497_just-how-much-are-americans-investing-in-sports-betting.html) 'sweeps' websites while at the exact same time the leagues wish to project a strong stance against illegal [sports betting](https://encone.com/read-blog/46237_warner-bros-discovery-sets-stage-for-potential-cable-deal-by.html) - specifically when attempting to tamp down the occasional [sports betting](https://mensaceuta.com/read-blog/9176_warner-bros-discovery-sets-stage-for-potential-cable-deal-by.html) scandal,' Glaser told DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was simply 8 months ago that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter got a lifetime restriction from the NBA over allegations he conspired with gamblers. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unrelated to anything including social or sweepstakes casinos.<br>
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<br>Together with VGW, Apple and Google are being demanded hosting apparently unlawful [sports betting](https://thewion.com/read-blog/185992_things-you-need-to-learn-about-rafting-adventures.html) websites<br>
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<br>Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes gambling establishments as a significant concern for leagues such as the NBA.<br>
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<br>'I 'd anticipate that a league crackdown on athletes endorsing sweepstakes websites is a matter of when, not if,' Glaser included.<br>
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<br>Neither an NBA representative nor the players' representatives reacted to DailyMail.com's ask for comment. For that matter, spokespeople for Drake, DJ Khaled, Hilton, Seacrest and Phelps also ignored to react to DailyMail.com [e-mails](https://community.0dte.com/index.php?link1=read-blog&id=18_the-history-of-the-nfl-and-how-to-bet-on-it.html).<br>
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<br>Asked if their celebrity endorsers have a responsibility to discuss to consumers the differences and similarities between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW insisted there is nothing more that needs to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have complete confidence in our influencer and ambassadorial partnerships, and our company practices more broadly,' the representative stated. 'A few of our values are" our gamers precede" and" we do what's right", and we put our worths at the core of everything we do.'<br>
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<br>Glaser, an outspoken opponent of sweepstakes websites, sees things in a different way.<br>[bit.ly](https://bit.ly/Bet9jaPromotionCodeYOHAIG)
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<br>'Celebrities who lend their names to shady illegal [sports betting](https://meta.mactan.com.br/read-blog/24929_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) sites are, at a minimum, putting their credibilities at risk along with courting civil and class actions by consumers who declare harm,' Glaser said. 'There is also some danger that state regulators and state attorney generals of the United States rope celebrity endorsers into enforcement efforts for assisting in illegal gaming.'<br>
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<br>New YorkNBADrakeParis Hilton<br>
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