Bovada Adds Ohio As 11th State On Its Restricted Market List

Offshore sports betting and casino site Bovada has added Ohio to its restricted market list after receiving a cease-and-desist notice from the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC).

This move marks Ohio as the 11th U.S. market where the unregulated operator has pulled its services, joining recent additions like Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

The OCCC sent the cease-and-desist to Bovada in August amid a growing trend of state regulators taking action against the platform. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) was the first state to take action, followed closely by Colorado. Other states that have had their access restricted include Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia.

Bovada has yet to acknowledge the receipt of any cease-and-desist letters. Instead, the operator simply restricts players in the states from accessing the site without warning. With Ohio residents now restricted from the site, Bovada has lost access to yet another of the most populous states in the U.S.

More states likely to follow suit

If the trend holds, Ohio won’t be the last state added to the list for much longer. Nakisha Skinner of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) announced in June her intention to work with the Attorney General’s Office to consider issuing a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada.

Similarly, Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) Chairman Christopher Hebert has indicated that he will soon raise the issue with the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division (LSPGED) and the director of gaming at the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. 

Bovada is an offshore gambling site offering sports betting, poker, and casino games. Originally launched in 2011, the operator claims to be licensed and regulated by the Anjouan Gaming Board, an autonomous island and constituent territory of the Union of the Comoros. 

Until May 2024, Bovada offered unregulated offshore betting to players in all U.S. states. While Bovada is among the biggest offshore operators serving U.S. citizens, it is one of many, and probably now the target to serve notice to the myriad smaller operators that they too are not welcome and may soon face scrutiny in certain jurisdictions.