Add Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities' All-important Role
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<br>The smiling faces of Paris Hilton and Ryan Seacrest made surprise looks before the Louisiana Senate for Friday's hearing on prohibited gambling.<br>
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<br>No, they weren't personally in presence, but the world-famous celebs were notably consisted of in a slide discussion on social and sweepstakes gambling establishments - the [controversial websites](https://social.mirrororg.com/read-blog/7698_how-fantasy-betting-app-development-companies-and-sports-developers.html) providing both complimentary casino-style video games and financially rewarding rewards, such as money, gift cards or cryptocurrency. In one ad, the fist-pumping Seacrest is seen plugging Chumba Casino, where anybody can 'play for 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](https://wiki.vst.hs-furtwangen.de/wiki/User:NickBrass4945) are just 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar market that now finds itself besieged by claims. In the eyes of numerous gaming corporations, not to discuss claim complainants and state regulators, sweepstakes casinos serve as traditional gambling establishments, only without the oversight, customer protections and tax laws. So not only can they avoid the high 24-percent federal [sports betting](https://nana22.com/read-blog/2740_things-you-need-to-learn-about-rafting-adventures.html) levy, however sweepstakes operators aren't subject to regulatory difficulties like anti-money laundering and responsible-gaming protections.<br>
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<br>One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in revenue in 2015 alone. Now the company faces allegations of prohibited [sports betting](https://almightyblondeone.com/index.php/User:LucilleDenmark) in a New york city lawsuit that declares VGW utilizes celebrity endorsers to 'create a veneer of legitimacy' around its product. (See VGW's statement listed below)<br>
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<br>'I'm uncertain" if you don't trust us, you can rely on Paris Hilton" is a winning message for companies running multibillion-dollar prohibited operations out of locations like Malta, Isle of Man, or US mail drops,' Friday's speaker, Howard Glaser of gaming corporation Light & Wonder, informed DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>Sweepstakes endorsers consist of a variety of celebrities from gambling lovers Drake and DJ Khaled to swimmer Michael Phelps, along with NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George - none of whom offer any distinctions in between conventional [sports betting](https://meebeek.com/read-blog/1104_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) and [sweepstakes play](http://wiki.die-karte-bitte.de/index.php/Benutzer_Diskussion:ElanaHeilman9).<br>
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<br>Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, one of many sweepstakes casinos discovered online<br>
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<br>Ryan Seacrest advises fans to play at Chumba Casino, where lots of - but not all - video games are free<br>
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<br>Drake has a handle social sweeps gambling establishment, Stake, that he frequently 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, ads normally focus around the social element of the casinos, while leaving out the capacity for real gaming losses.<br>
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<br>Others tempt consumers with pledges of prizes. One such operator, Stake, ran a social networks advertisement displaying Drake's cars and trucks, aircrafts and mansions before rotating to video footage of the rapper playing online casino-style video games.<br>
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<br>'Daddy, why do we have so much cash?' check out the very first [caption](https://younivix.com/read-blog/29908_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html) on the screen.<br>
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<br>Another [caption](https://younivix.com/read-blog/29883_why-every-cricket-fan-should-try-the-all-cricket-id-gaming-platform.html) discussed: 'Because I never ever quit.'<br>
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<br>The disparity in between gambling websites and social or sweepstakes gambling establishments is a bit complicated, however operators of the latter insist they're not included with the former.<br>
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<br>A spokesperson for a market trade group, the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA), described its members are not in direct competition with online casinos and sportsbooks. Furthermore, according to SPGA information, the majority of the players on social-sweepstakes casinos are playing for totally free.<br>
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<br>'Most social sweeps [consumers](https://truthbook.social/read-blog/8423_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) never make a purchase,' the SPGA representative told DailyMail.com. 'The minority of consumers who make purchases do so in amounts far smaller than the typical deposit or bet size at real-money online gambling websites.'<br>
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<br>Social gambling establishments provide clients a possibility to play casino-style video games with good friends. Players have the alternative to purchase worthless currency typically referred to as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged genuine money, however can be used to open different features within the video games.<br>
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<br>But within the world of social gambling establishments exists sweepstakes gaming, allowing customers to get other currency called 'sweeps coins' that can be exchanged for cash or other rewards.<br>
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<br>And therein lies the potential for financial losses, like the ones claimed by plaintiffs in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York City. One gamer informed the Washington Post he lost more than $100,000 on sweepstakes gambling establishments in the past 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 Global Poker occasion<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>Social sweeps gambling establishment Stake ran an advertisement displaying Drake's vehicles, aircrafts and mansions<br>
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<br>Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York City Knicks is another NBA star plugging VGW's Global Poker<br>
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<br>Traditional online gambling establishments are banned in all however seven states, which has helped to sustain the popularity of sweepstakes gambling establishments.<br>
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<br>Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes sites, which don't require typically require recognition. However, websites 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, enable consumers to send mail-in requests for totally free sweeps coins, supplied the gamers follow painfully specific instructions. What's more, gamers are frequently rewarded with sweeps coins simply for signing up, thus offering them a reason to attempt their hands at any variety of casino video games for an opportunity to win - or lose - genuine cash.<br>
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<br>So why are sweepstakes websites enabled to operate in 48 states, while online gambling establishments are banned in all but 7?<br>
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<br>According to the stakeholders, their item is the totally free casino-style video gaming, and the real-stakes competitors is just a way of promoting their support.<br>
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<br>'Social sweepstakes video games are merely a type of online home entertainment,' an SPGA spokesperson told DailyMail.com by email. 'No purchase is needed to play at social casinos with sweepstakes prizes. Consumers never have to pay for an opportunity to win prizes. That lack of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is an essential difference between social sweeps and conventional online gaming [websites](https://chateando.net/read-blog/217_score-big-wins-how-sports-betting-software-drives-growth-and-engagement.html) like gambling establishments.'<br>
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<br>Think of the method that McDonald's utilizes its annual Monopoly game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, but rather they're buying hamburgers and fries that offer them the chance to win lucrative rewards, such as a $1 million prize.<br>
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<br>And without a purchase requirement, or 'consideration', the video game itself does not fulfill the meaning of gambling in the US.<br>
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<br>'Sweepstakes are an enduring approach for [promoting](https://wow.t-mobility.co.il/read-blog/14_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) all type of everyday services in the United States, everything from hamburgers to magazine subscriptions to coffee and home enhancement shops,' the SPGA spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promos are regularly utilized by a who's who of family names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>But to many [sports betting](https://farmwoo.com/read-blog/9556_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) market insiders, that argument does not cut it.<br>
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<br>For beginners, video gaming attorney Daniel Wallach mentions, McDonald's Monopoly game does not run indefinitely. Rather, it has a well-defined beginning and end, thus suggesting the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's primary item. Instead, the sweepstakes is being used to promote real products like fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.<br>
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<br>'They don't last permanently and they're typically not tied to casino-style games of chance,' Wallach informed DailyMail.com. 'They're simply cash free gifts.<br>
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<br>'The sweepstakes [casinos] have none of the characteristics commonly associated with McDonald's-style sweepstakes promotions,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in eternity, the [sweepstakes casinos](https://nexthub.live/read-blog/85_the-ins-and-outs-of-betting-on-the-nfl-draft.html) provide" casino-like" payments, usually 80 percent or more of profits, whereas the common payment percentage for a short-term advertising sweepstakes is a trivial share of the profits made by the business [generally less than one percent]'<br>
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<br>Wallach is fast to liken the online social sweeps gambling establishments to the internet coffee shops that sprang up in Florida, offering consumers the opportunity to play casino-style games for real prizes. A lot of those brick-and-mortar facilities have actually given that been shuttered over accusations of illegal gaming.<br>
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<br>DJ Khaled is among several celebrity spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand name<br>[bet9ja.com](https://register.bet9ja.com/?btag=yohaig&promocode=yohaig)
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<br>Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps casinos must deal with similar [scrutiny](https://munidigital.iie.cl/wiki/index.php?title=Usuario:MargueriteEyler).<br>
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<br>'These distinctions are not approximate,' Wallach said of social sweeps casinos. 'They have consistently been pointed out by courts and state lawyer generals as key factors in identifying that a sweepstakes promotion was in truth a guise for prohibited gaming.'<br>
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<br>Among the gambling establishment industry's leading trade organizations, the American Gaming Association, is now pressing lawmakers to examine sweepstakes operators and, sometimes, enact new legislation on the problem.<br>
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<br>'Consumers are being denied of defenses and states are forgoing considerable tax and income opportunities as this gaming replaces that conducted through managed channels,' checked out a well-circulated AGA memo.<br>
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<br>And after that there are the complainants who have taken legal action against social gambling establishments in more than a dozen states.<br>
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<br>[Sweepstakes casino](https://lidoo.com.br/read-blog/12969_how-are-betting-odds-calculated.html) operators paid a combined $14.2 million in four separate cases in Kentucky without admitting any misdeed, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW accepted pay $11.75 million in one class-action suit, stating the settlement was made to prevent legal expenses 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 current suit, which is mainly comparable to its predecessors, New York state residents Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both claim to have actually lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is explained in the filing as an 'unlawful gambling business. '<br>
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<br>Apple and Google have actually also been called as offenders in claims 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 don't talk about matters before the courts,' a VGW representative informed DailyMail.com via email. 'However, we keep in mind that this claim has only just been submitted 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 guidelines where we operate, and stay confident about the future,' the representative continued. 'We continue to offer our free-to-play video games across most of The United States and Canada, as we have for more than a decade, [creating](https://social.oneworldonesai.com/read-blog/1754_how-much-are-americans-spending-on-sports-betting.html) not just fantastic games, user experiences and home entertainment, however also guaranteeing this is done securely, responsibly and at the highest level of standards.<br>
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<br>'More broadly, we 'd reiterate that [class actions](https://youfurry.com/read-blog/37999_best-u-s-sports-betting-sites-amp-sportsbooks-for-2024.html) and other litigations and arbitrations are reasonably typical throughout the online social games market (and the US more broadly), and our standard practice is that we intend to intensely protect any claim which may be brought versus us.'<br>
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<br>The problems between traditional online gambling and sweepstakes casinos might show 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 while the NBA is partnered with traditional video gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.<br>
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<br>'It's paradoxical that professional athletes are hawking illegal [sports betting](http://famedoot.in/read-blog/93_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) 'sweeps' sites while at the exact same time the [leagues](https://oolibuzz.com/read-blog/41674_why-every-cricket-fan-should-try-the-all-cricket-id-gaming-platform.html) wish to project a strong position versus unlawful gambling - particularly when trying to tamp down the periodic gambling scandal,' Glaser told DailyMail.com.<br>
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<br>It was just eight months ago that [Toronto Raptors](https://pipewiki.org/wiki/index.php/User:DevonCosta) forward Jontay Porter received a life time ban from the NBA over accusations 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 sued for hosting presumably illegal [sports betting](https://www.social.united-tuesday.org/read-blog/19472_sports-minister-tracey-crouch-resigns-over-039-hold-up-039-to-betting-crackdown.html) sites<br>
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<br>Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes casinos as a major issue for leagues such as the NBA.<br>
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<br>'I 'd anticipate that a league crackdown on athletes backing is a matter of when, not if,' Glaser added.<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 likewise overlooked to react to DailyMail.com e-mails.<br>
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<br>Asked if their star endorsers have a duty to discuss to consumers the differences and similarities between iGaming and sweepstakes gambling establishments, VGW firmly insisted there is nothing more that needs to be done.<br>
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<br>'We have full 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 values at the core of everything we do.'<br>
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<br>Glaser, an outspoken opponent of sweepstakes websites, sees things differently.<br>
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<br>'Celebrities who provide their names to dubious unlawful [sports betting](https://drapia.org/11-WIKI/index.php/User:ClevelandRoby89) websites are, at a minimum, putting their track records at risk as well as courting civil and class actions by customers who declare harm,' Glaser stated. 'There is also some danger that state regulators and state chief law officers rope celebrity endorsers into enforcement efforts for facilitating unlawful [sports betting](https://si-sudagro.net/cdc-hiruak/index.php?qa=152981&qa_1=warner-bros-discovery-sets-stage-for-potential-cable-deal-by).'<br>
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<br>New YorkNBADrakeParis Hilton<br>
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