Minnesota Is Attempting To Clamp Down on Sweepstakes Casinos

In an interview with Covers last week, Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division agent Jon Anglin said that they’ve made contact with 20 sweepstakes and offshore platforms requesting that they halt operations. 

However, Minnesota doesn’t use a formal cease and desist letter for something like this, even though they are considered illegal gambling outfits under state law. 

So, the state can make the request, but cannot compel them. To do so, they’d need to involve the Attorney General’s office.

The Minnesota AGED Doesn’t Have the Power

Cease and desists and sweepstakes casinos have been mentioned in the same sentence many times this year, with states like New York, Arizona, Louisiana, Delaware, and Maryland issuing cease and desists against them. These have been under the threat of potential fines if they didn’t comply.

However, the Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division in Minnesota doesn’t have that same level of power. There’s no gambling control legislation in place. They’re able to regulate state licensees, but offshore platforms and sweepstakes casinos are obviously not under that jurisdiction. 

The only power it has is to hold it against them should they try to apply for a license in the future, but under the current law, they have no need to do so.

What’s Happened? Have Any Platforms Left?

As far as we know, no sweepstakes/social casinos have left Minnesota as a result of these requirements. However, platforms like Stake.us, VGW, Zula, ReBet, McLuck, Fortune Coins, and Golden Hearts Games have been contacted. 

As for offshore sportsbooks, Bovada was also contacted. 

So far, none of them have complied. 

We’ll keep an eye on this, but there appears to be no teeth to any of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division requests.