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 looks before the Louisiana Senate for Friday's hearing on illegal gambling.<br>
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<br>No, they weren't personally in presence, however the world-famous celebs were conspicuously included in a slide [discussion](https://gamehiker.com/wiki/index.php/User:KurtisTalley) on social and sweepstakes casinos - the controversial sites providing both totally free casino-style video games and profitable prizes, such as cash, present cards or [cryptocurrency](http://www.vokipedia.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:Vickie24G91300). In one advertisement, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anybody can 'bet free,' while a crop-topped Hilton holds a chip for sweepstakes operator, Wow Vegas, in the other.<br>
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<br>The websites are simply 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar market that now finds itself besieged by claims. In the eyes of many video gaming corporations, not to mention suit complainants and state regulators, sweepstakes casinos act as conventional casinos, only without the oversight, customer securities and tax laws. So not only can they avoid the steep 24-percent federal gambling levy, however sweepstakes operators aren't subject to regulative difficulties like anti-money laundering and responsible-gaming defenses.<br>
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<br>One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in earnings last year alone. Now the business faces allegations of illegal [sports betting](https://anthonymartialclub.com/read-blog/8821_best-u-s-sports-betting-sites-amp-sportsbooks-for-2024.html) in a New york city suit that [declares VGW](https://usa.life/read-blog/103321_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-us-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) uses celeb endorsers to 'create a veneer of legitimacy' around its product. (See VGW's statement 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 prohibited operations out of locations like Malta, Isle of Man, or US mail drops,' Friday's presenter, Howard Glaser of gaming corporation Light & Wonder, told DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes endorsers consist of a series of stars from [sports betting](https://online-learning-initiative.org/wiki/index.php/User:CassandraRemley) lovers Drake and DJ Khaled to swimmer Michael Phelps, as well as NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George - none of whom provide any distinctions in between standard gambling and sweepstakes play.<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, among lots of sweepstakes casinos discovered online<br>[bit.ly](https://bit.ly/Bet9jaPromotionCodeYOHAIG)
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<br>Ryan Seacrest prompts fans to play at Chumba Casino, where lots of - however not all - games are free<br>
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<br>Drake has a handle social sweeps gambling establishment, Stake, that he routinely promotes on social media<br>
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<br>Learn 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 generally focus around the social element of the gambling establishments, while leaving out the potential for real gaming losses.<br>
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<br>Others lure customers with [guarantees](https://wavedream.wiki/index.php/User:PatriciaLindrum) of prizes. One such operator, Stake, ran a social media ad displaying Drake's automobiles, planes and estates before rotating to footage of the rap artist playing online casino-style games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have so much cash?' check out the very first caption on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another caption explained: 'Because I never ever gave up.'<br>
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<br>The inconsistency between gambling sites and social or sweepstakes casinos is a bit complicated, however operators of the latter insist they're not involved with the previous.<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>A representative for a market 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 information, most of the gamers on social-sweepstakes casinos are [sports betting](https://taar.me/read-blog/8475_how-much-are-americans-spending-on-sports-betting.html) free.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps clients never buy,' the SPGA representative told DailyMail.com. 'The minority of customers who make purchases do so in quantities far smaller sized than the common deposit or bet size at real-money online [sports betting](https://ai.tienda/read-blog/7229_how-to-play-bet9ja-online.html) websites.'<br>
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<br>Social casinos use clients an opportunity to play casino-style video games with pals. Players have the alternative to purchase valueless currency often described as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged for real cash, however can be utilized to open numerous functions within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social gambling establishments exists sweepstakes video gaming, enabling clients to obtain 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 capacity for [monetary](https://www.opentx.cz/index.php/U%C5%BEivatel:EnriqueSandes) losses, like the ones claimed by plaintiffs in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York. 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 cash and other things of worth.<br>
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<br>The Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George is seen promoting an International Poker event<br>[bit.ly](https://bit.ly/Bet9jaPromotionCodeYOHAIG)
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<br>Social sweeps gambling establishment Stake ran an advertisement flaunting Drake's cars, planes and mansions<br>
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<br>Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is another [NBA star](https://kenyansocial.com/read-blog/1345_how-much-are-americans-spending-on-sports-betting.html) plugging VGW's Global Poker<br>
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<br>Traditional online casinos are prohibited in all however 7 states, which has assisted to sustain the appeal of [sweepstakes casinos](https://sportstalkhub.com/read-blog/20354_how-fantasy-betting-app-development-companies-and-sports-developers.html).<br>
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<br>Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes websites, which don't require normally need recognition. However, sites like Chumba will ask for IDs from gamers attempting to withdraw any funds.<br>
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<br>Many sites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, allow customers to send mail-in ask for complimentary sweeps coins, provided the gamers follow painfully particular guidelines. What's more, gamers are typically rewarded with sweeps coins merely for signing up, consequently providing a reason to attempt their hands at any number of casino games for an opportunity to win - or lose - real cash.<br>
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<br>So why are sweepstakes sites permitted to run in 48 states, while online casinos are banned in all however 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their item is the free casino-style video gaming, and the real-stakes competitors is merely a way of promoting their support.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes games are simply a type of online entertainment,' an SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com by e-mail. 'No purchase is required to dip into social gambling establishments with sweepstakes rewards. Consumers never ever have to pay for a chance to win prizes. That absence of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is an important difference in between social sweeps and traditional online gambling websites like gambling establishments.'<br>
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<br>Consider the manner in which McDonald's utilizes its yearly Monopoly video game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, however rather they're purchasing hamburgers and french fries that provide them the chance to win rewarding 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 meet the definition of [sports betting](https://mixup.wiki/index.php/User:LeandroVale2459) in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are a long-standing approach for promoting all type of everyday companies in the United States, whatever from hamburgers to publication subscriptions to coffee and home enhancement stores,' the SPGA representative informed DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promotions are regularly utilized by a who's who of home names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'<br>
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<br>But to many [sports betting](https://coptr.digipres.org/index.php/User:KassiePascal596) [industry](https://socialsmerch.com/read-blog/10500_how-to-attract-users-to-my-fantasy-sports-platform.html) experts, that argument does not cut it.<br>
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<br>For starters, gaming attorney Daniel Wallach explains, McDonald's Monopoly video game does not run forever. Rather, it has a distinct start and end, thus suggesting the sweepstakes is not the [fast-food giant's](https://social.engagepure.com/read-blog/782_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-united-states-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) main item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being utilized to promote real items like french fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They do not last permanently and they're normally not connected to casino-style games of chance,' Wallach informed DailyMail.com. 'They're just money giveaways.<br>
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<br>'The sweepstakes [casinos] have none of the characteristics frequently related to McDonald's-design sweepstakes promos,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in perpetuity, the sweepstakes casinos use" casino-like" payments, typically 80 percent or more of revenues, whereas the typical payment portion for a short-term advertising sweepstakes is an unimportant share of the profits made by the business [typically less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach is quick to liken the online social sweeps casinos to the [web cafes](https://atleticomadridfansclub.com/read-blog/12029_start-winning-with-pcg-college-football-picks.html) that sprang up in Florida, offering clients the possibility to play casino-style video games for real prizes. Many of those brick-and-mortar establishments have actually given that been shuttered over claims of illegal gambling.<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is among several star spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand name<br>
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<br>Now, argues, social sweeps casinos ought to face similar scrutiny.<br>
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<br>'These differences are not approximate,' Wallach stated of social sweeps gambling establishments. 'They have actually repeatedly been mentioned by courts and state attorney general of the United States as essential consider identifying that a sweepstakes promotion was in reality a guise for unlawful gambling.'<br>
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<br>Among the gambling establishment industry's leading trade organizations, the American Gaming Association, is now pressing lawmakers to investigate sweepstakes operators and, sometimes, enact brand-new legislation on the concern.<br>
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<br>'Consumers are being denied of securities and states are passing up significant tax and revenue opportunities as this gaming replaces that conducted through regulated channels,' checked out a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And then there are the complainants who have sued social casinos in more than a lots states.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes gambling establishment operators paid a [combined](https://forum.subchems.com/read-blog/3839_online-betting-firms-gamble-on-soccer-mad-nigeria.html) $14.2 million in 4 separate cases in Kentucky without confessing any wrongdoing, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW accepted pay $11.75 million in one class-action claim, stating the settlement was made to avoid legal costs and continued litigation.<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 latest lawsuit, which is mostly similar to its predecessors, New York state residents Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both declare to have actually lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is described in the filing as an 'unlawful gambling enterprise. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have likewise been called as defendants in claims for hosting the sweepstakes sites. But unlike VGW, neither tech business [reacted](https://linkpiz.com/vn/13954/how-much-are-americans-spending-on-sports-betting) to DailyMail.com's demand for remark.<br>
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<br>'We typically do not discuss matters before the courts,' a VGW representative informed DailyMail.com by means of e-mail. 'However, we note that this claim has actually only simply been [submitted](https://cristianoronaldoclub.com/read-blog/10050_compare-amp-review-oddsjet-de.html) with the court and VGW has not been officially served.<br>
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<br>'We have complete confidence in our compliance with all laws and [policies](https://newyorkcityfcfansclub.com/read-blog/4552_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-delay-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) where we run, and remain confident about the future,' the spokesperson continued. 'We continue to provide our free-to-play video games across most of The United States and Canada, as we have for more than a decade, creating not only terrific games, user experiences and home entertainment, however likewise ensuring this is done safely, properly and at the greatest level of requirements.<br>
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<br>'More broadly, we ['d restate](https://moonifie.com/read-blog/1421_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) that class actions and other litigations and arbitrations are fairly typical throughout the online social video games industry (and the US more broadly), and our standard practice is that we intend to strongly defend any claim which may be brought versus us.'<br>
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<br>The concerns in between standard online gaming and sweepstakes gambling establishments could prove bothersome 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 gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's paradoxical that expert athletes are hawking illegal [sports betting](https://jimsusefultools.com/index.php/User:NicoleH15327715) 'sweeps' sites while at the very same time the leagues want to forecast a strong stance against prohibited gambling - particularly when trying to tamp down the periodic gaming scandal,' Glaser told DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was simply eight months ago that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a lifetime restriction from the NBA over allegations he conspired with bettors. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unassociated to anything [involving social](https://a2zstreamsnow.com/read-blog/2721_sport-betting-industry-aims-to-protect-itself.html) or sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Together with VGW, Apple and Google are being demanded hosting presumably illegal gambling sites<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 expect that a league crackdown on professional athletes endorsing sweepstakes websites refers when, not if,' Glaser included.<br>
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<br>Neither an NBA representative nor the gamers' representatives reacted to DailyMail.com's requests for remark. For that matter, [spokespeople](https://www.yewiki.org/User:GuyFurr51381) for Drake, DJ Khaled, Hilton, Seacrest and Phelps also overlooked to respond to DailyMail.com emails.<br>
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<br>Asked if their celeb endorsers have an obligation to discuss to consumers the distinctions and similarities in between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW insisted there is absolutely nothing more that requires to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have full confidence in our influencer and ambassadorial collaborations, and our organization practices more broadly,' the spokesperson stated. 'A few of our values are" our players come initially" and" we do what's right", and we put our values at the core of whatever 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 who provide their names to [dubious illegal](https://naijamatta.com/read-blog/35013_things-you-need-to-learn-about-rafting-adventures.html) gambling sites are, at a minimum, putting their reputations at risk in addition to courting civil and class actions by customers who allege damage,' Glaser stated. 'There is also some threat that state regulators and state chief law officers rope star endorsers into enforcement efforts for facilitating illegal gaming.'<br>
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<br>New YorkNBADrakeParis Hilton<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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