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 prohibited [sports betting](https://taar.me/read-blog/8442_best-u-s-sports-betting-sites-amp-sportsbooks-for-2024.html).<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>No, they weren't personally in presence, however the world-famous stars were conspicuously consisted of in a slide presentation on social and sweepstakes casinos - the questionable sites using both free casino-style games and profitable prizes, such as money, present cards or cryptocurrency. In one ad, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anybody can 'bet complimentary,' while a crop-topped Hilton holds a chip for sweepstakes operator, Wow Vegas, in the other.<br>
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<br>The sites are simply 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar market that now discovers itself besieged by claims. In the eyes of numerous gaming corporations, not to point out claim plaintiffs and state regulators, [sweepstakes casinos](http://it-viking.ch/index.php/User:MaudeStanford27) serve as traditional gambling establishments, only without the oversight, customer protections and tax laws. So not just can they avoid the steep 24-percent federal gaming levy, but sweepstakes operators aren't subject to regulative obstacles 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 profits in 2015 alone. Now the company deals with accusations of prohibited gaming in a New york city suit that declares VGW utilizes star endorsers to 'produce a veneer of legitimacy' around its item. (See VGW's statement listed below)<br>
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<br>'I'm uncertain" if you do not trust us, you can trust Paris Hilton" is a winning message for business running multibillion-dollar illegal operations out of locations 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 series of celebrities from gambling enthusiasts 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 gambling and sweepstakes play.<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, among many sweepstakes gambling establishments discovered online<br>
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<br>Ryan Seacrest prompts fans to dip into Chumba Casino, where many - but not all - games are totally free<br>
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<br>Drake has an offer with social sweeps casino, Stake, that he routinely promotes on social networks<br>
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<br>Find out more<br>
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<br>Donald Trump 'set to call NBA team owner as US ambassador to Italy'<br>
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<br>Instead, advertisements usually center around the social aspect of the gambling establishments, while leaving out the potential for actual [sports betting](https://projectblueberryserver.com/index.php/User:ValenciaLavallee) losses.<br>
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<br>Others lure customers with guarantees of prizes. One such operator, Stake, ran a social media advertisement flaunting Drake's vehicles, aircrafts and mansions before [pivoting](https://dreamtvhd.com/read-blog/28_why-every-cricket-fan-ought-to-try-the-all-cricket-id-gaming-platform.html) to video of the rapper playing online casino-style video games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have a lot cash?' read the first on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another caption discussed: 'Because I never ever quit.'<br>
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<br>The disparity in between gambling sites and social or sweepstakes casinos is a bit complex, however operators of the latter insist they're not involved with the previous.<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 casinos and sportsbooks. Furthermore, according to SPGA information, most of the gamers on social-sweepstakes casinos are playing for complimentary.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps customers never ever purchase,' the SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com. 'The minority of clients who make purchases do so in amounts far smaller sized than the [typical deposit](https://wiki.snooze-hotelsoftware.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:KarenKleiber59) or wager size at real-money online [sports betting](https://moonifie.com/read-blog/1420_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html) sites.'<br>
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<br>Social casinos offer clients a chance to play casino-style games with pals. Players have the choice to [purchase worthless](https://almightyblondeone.com/index.php/User:NatishaStern27) currency frequently described as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged genuine money, but can be used to unlock different functions within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social gambling establishments exists sweepstakes gaming, permitting customers to get other currency understood as 'sweeps coins' that can be exchanged for money or other rewards.<br>
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<br>And therein lies the potential for financial losses, like the ones declared by complainants in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York. One player informed the Washington Post he lost more than $100,000 on sweepstakes gambling establishments in the previous year after continuing to buy more coins in pursuit of money and other things of worth.<br>
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<br>The Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George is seen promoting a Global Poker event<br>
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<br>Social sweeps gambling establishment Stake ran an advertisement displaying Drake's automobiles, aircrafts and mansions<br>
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<br>Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is another NBA star plugging VGW's Global Poker<br>
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<br>Traditional online casinos are prohibited in all but 7 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 sites, which don't need usually [require recognition](https://chatkc.com/read-blog/445_how-to-attract-users-to-my-fantasy-sports-platform.html). However, [websites](https://jimsusefultools.com/index.php/User:PatriciaMartz53) like Chumba will ask for IDs from gamers attempting to withdraw any funds.<br>
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<br>Many websites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, allow consumers to [submit mail-in](https://flowsocial.xyz/read-blog/591_sport-betting-industry-seeks-to-protect-itself.html) ask for free sweeps coins, offered the players follow painfully specific directions. What's more, players are [typically rewarded](https://miderde.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:DoloresSheean7) with sweeps coins just for registering, thereby providing a factor to attempt their hands at any number of gambling establishment video games for an opportunity to win - or lose - real cash.<br>
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<br>So why are sweepstakes websites permitted to operate in 48 states, while online gambling establishments are prohibited in all however 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their product is the free casino-style gaming, and the real-stakes competition is merely a means of promoting their bread and butter.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes video games are just a form of online entertainment,' an SPGA representative told [DailyMail](https://lifefriendsurance.com/start-winning-with-pcg-college-football-picks/).com by email. 'No purchase is required to dip into social gambling establishments with sweepstakes rewards. Consumers never have to spend for a chance to win prizes. That absence of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is an important difference between social sweeps and traditional online [sports betting](https://wow.twinear.com/read-blog/982_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) websites like gambling establishments.'<br>
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<br>Think of the method that McDonald's uses its yearly Monopoly game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, however rather they're purchasing hamburgers and fries that provide them the possibility to win lucrative prizes, 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 satisfy the meaning of [sports betting](http://kitsap.whigdev.com/read-blog/3121_just-how-much-are-americans-investing-in-sports-betting.html) in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are an enduring method for promoting all type of everyday businesses in the United States, whatever from burgers to publication memberships to coffee and home enhancement stores,' the SPGA representative told DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promos are frequently used by a who's who of family names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'<br>
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<br>But to lots of [sports betting](https://moonifie.com/read-blog/1407_just-how-much-are-americans-investing-in-sports-betting.html) industry experts, that argument doesn't cut it.<br>
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<br>For beginners, video gaming lawyer Daniel Wallach mentions, [McDonald's Monopoly](https://alumni.myra.ac.in/read-blog/148644_best-u-s-sports-betting-sites-amp-sportsbooks-for-2024.html) video game doesn't run indefinitely. Rather, it has a well-defined start and end, therefore recommending the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's main item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being used to promote real products like french fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They do not last forever and they're generally not tied to casino-style games of possibility,' Wallach informed DailyMail.com. 'They're simply cash giveaways.<br>
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<br>'The sweepstakes [casinos] possess none of the qualities commonly related to McDonald's-design sweepstakes promos,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in perpetuity, the sweepstakes gambling establishments provide" casino-like" payments, typically 80 percent or more of revenues, whereas the typical payment portion for a short-lived advertising sweepstakes is a trivial share of the revenue earned by the company [usually less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach fasts to liken the online social sweeps casinos to the [internet](https://moonifie.com/read-blog/1430_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-united-states-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) cafes that sprang up in Florida, offering customers the chance to play casino-style games for real rewards. A number of those brick-and-mortar facilities have actually considering that been shuttered over allegations of illegal gaming.<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is among numerous celebrity spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand<br>
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<br>Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps gambling establishments ought to face comparable scrutiny.<br>
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<br>'These differences are not approximate,' Wallach stated of social sweeps casinos. 'They have repeatedly been mentioned by courts and state attorney general of the United States as key factors in determining that a sweepstakes promotion was in fact a guise for illegal [sports betting](https://wooshbit.com/read-blog/18700_exploring-the-sports-betting-industry-putting-ideas-into-practice.html).'<br>
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<br>Among the gambling establishment industry's leading trade organizations, the American Gaming Association, is now pushing lawmakers to investigate sweepstakes operators and, sometimes, enact new legislation on the concern.<br>
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<br>'Consumers are being denied of protections and states are passing up considerable tax and revenue opportunities as this gaming replaces that conducted through managed channels,' checked out a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And then there are the plaintiffs who have sued social casinos in more than a lots states.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes casino operators paid a combined $14.2 million in four different cases in Kentucky without admitting any wrongdoing, according to the [Washington Post](https://links.gtanet.com.br/katharinabur). Meanwhile VGW concurred to pay $11.75 million in one class-action suit, saying the settlement was made to avoid legal expenses and continued lawsuits.<br>
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<br>[Michael Phelps](https://accc.rcec.sinica.edu.tw/mediawiki/index.php?title=User:AllenSutton38) has actually signed an offer with the VGW Group, which owns Global Poker<br>
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<br>In the [current](http://www.vmeste-so-vsemi.ru/wiki/%D0%A3%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA:Kelly88E90) claim, which is largely 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 described in the filing as an 'illegal gambling enterprise. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have likewise been called as accuseds in lawsuits for hosting the sweepstakes websites. But unlike VGW, neither tech business reacted to DailyMail.com's request for comment.<br>
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<br>'We generally do not talk about matters before the courts,' a VGW spokesperson informed [DailyMail](http://kitsap.whigdev.com/read-blog/3101_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html).com via email. 'However, we note that this claim has only simply been filed with the court and VGW has actually not been officially served.<br>
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<br>'We have full self-confidence in our compliance with all laws and policies where we operate, and stay confident about the future,' the spokesperson continued. 'We continue to provide our free-to-play games across the majority of North America, as we have for more than a decade, developing not just great games, user experiences and home entertainment, but also guaranteeing this is done securely, responsibly and at the highest level of requirements.<br>
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<br>'More broadly, we 'd repeat that class actions and other lawsuits and arbitrations are fairly typical across the online social games market (and the US more broadly), and our basic practice is that we mean to strongly protect any claim which may be brought versus us.'<br>
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<br>The problems between conventional online gambling and sweepstakes casinos could prove troublesome for some celebrity 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 name while the NBA is partnered with standard video gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's ironic that professional athletes are hawking unlawful [sports betting](https://cristianoronaldoclub.com/read-blog/10060_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html) 'sweeps' websites while at the same time the leagues wish to project a strong position versus illegal gambling - particularly when trying to tamp down the occasional [sports betting](http://t-salon-de-jun.com/board/5794984) scandal,' Glaser informed DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was simply 8 months ago that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a life time restriction from the NBA over allegations he conspired with bettors. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unrelated to anything including social or sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Together with VGW, Apple and Google are being demanded hosting apparently prohibited gambling websites<br>
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<br>Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes casinos as a significant problem for leagues such as the NBA.<br>
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<br>'I 'd anticipate that a league crackdown on athletes endorsing sweepstakes sites is a matter of when, not if,' Glaser included.<br>
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<br>Neither an NBA representative nor the gamers' agents reacted to DailyMail.com's demands for comment. For that matter, spokespeople for Drake, DJ Khaled, Hilton, Seacrest and Phelps also overlooked to react to DailyMail.com e-mails.<br>
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<br>Asked if their celeb endorsers have a duty to discuss to customers the differences and resemblances in between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW insisted there is nothing more that requires to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have full self-confidence in our influencer and ambassadorial partnerships, and our service practices more broadly,' the representative said. 'Some 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 challenger of sweepstakes websites, sees things differently.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>'Celebrities who provide their names to dubious illegal [gambling](https://social.japrime.id/read-blog/23440_things-you-need-to-understand-about-rafting-adventures.html) websites are, at a minimum, putting their track records at threat as well as courting civil and class actions by consumers who declare harm,' Glaser said. 'There is likewise some risk that state regulators and state attorney generals of the United States rope star endorsers into enforcement efforts for facilitating illegal gaming.'<br>
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