Around three weeks after the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) issued a cease-and-desist letter to the owner of Bovada, the offshore operator has shut down its business in the Bay State.
As of Oct. 22, Bovada has added Massachusetts to its list of restricted states. The list now numbers 15 and has been growing longer by the month.
The AGO letter to Curaçao-based Harp Media B.V., which the office announced on Oct. 3, stated that Bovada had been offering online casino games and sports wagering despite not being given a license to do so by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). In addition, the AGO stated that Bovada was in violation of state consumer protection laws by falsely marketing itself to Massachusetts residents as a legitimate “USA-based” gambling operator since 2011.
The AGO said that unlicensed operators like Bovada pose “a substantial danger” to consumers due to their lack of regulatory oversight within the state.
The MGC had first discussed the idea of taking action against Bovada back in June, when Commissioner Nakisha Skinner posed the question of whether following then-recent actions from Michigan and Connecticut was worth replicating in Massachusetts.
Now that it is offline in Massachusetts, Bovada restricts access to users in 14 states plus Washington, D.C. Most recently, in mid-September, it had added Pennsylvania and Kansas to its no-go list. Both of those states’ gaming regulators confirmed to SBC Americas that they had sent a cease-and-desist letter to the offshore operator.
Massachusetts online lottery launch delayed, another competitor arrives
Meanwhile, in notable Massachusetts news this week, state Treasurer and Chair of the Massachusetts Lottery Deborah Goldberg said the launch of a state online lottery now isn’t expected to materialize until spring 2026. Lottery Director Mark Bracken revealed the organization is yet to receive the $2.5 million in funding to expand the scope of the lottery yet.
The legislature passed the bill legalizing online lottery expansion in June and Gov. Maura Healey signed it into law in July. Once live, the expansion will include the online purchase of draw tickets as well as einstant games, which are similar to online slot machines in terms of game play. Despite the lack of funding to date, the lottery has issued an RFP for the project and is currently assessing providers in anticipation of launch.
In the meantime, Bay State lottery enthusiasts have other options available to them. Digital lottery courier Lotto.com launched in Massachusetts earlier this month, joining its two main competitors in the digital lottery courier space, Jackpocket and Jackpot.com. Lotto.com has the advantage of being able to provide Massachusetts’ first-ever digital scratch ticket offering.
