From 709dcc7a868a1d5356748ca2270b93f55f317e05 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: tillyn41800787 Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2024 12:27:08 +0800 Subject: [PATCH] Add Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities' All-important Role --- ...And Celebrities%27 All-important Role.-.md | 64 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 64 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities%27 All-important Role.-.md diff --git a/Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities%27 All-important Role.-.md b/Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities%27 All-important Role.-.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8ed30fc --- /dev/null +++ b/Sweepstakes Casino Controversy - And Celebrities%27 All-important Role.-.md @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +
The smiling faces of Paris Hilton and Ryan Seacrest made surprise appearances before the Louisiana Senate for Friday's hearing on illegal [sports betting](https://islider.ru/read-blog/37686_the-history-of-the-nfl-and-how-to-bet-on-it.html).
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No, they weren't personally in participation, however the world-famous stars were conspicuously included in a slide discussion on social and [sweepstakes casinos](https://alumni.myra.ac.in/read-blog/148588_for-sports-gambling-to-be-legalised.html) - the controversial sites providing both totally free casino-style games and profitable rewards, such as money, gift cards or cryptocurrency. In one advertisement, 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.
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The websites are just 2 cogs in the multibillion-dollar industry that now discovers itself besieged by suits. In the eyes of many video gaming corporations, not to mention lawsuit complainants and state regulators, sweepstakes gambling establishments act as traditional gambling establishments, only without the oversight, consumer protections and tax laws. So not only can they prevent the steep 24-percent federal [sports betting](https://www.tobeop.com/compare-review-oddsjet-de/) levy, however sweepstakes operators aren't subject to regulative difficulties like anti-money laundering and responsible-gaming protections.
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One operator, Australia-based Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), reported $4 billion in [revenue](https://rhabits.io/read-blog/7328_online-betting-firms-gamble-on-soccer-mad-nigeria.html) in 2015 alone. Now the company deals with accusations of unlawful [sports betting](https://cheere.org/read-blog/36275_missouri-sports-betting-ballot-measure-approved-by-voters.html) in a New york city lawsuit that claims VGW utilizes celeb endorsers to 'produce a veneer of legitimacy' around its product. (See VGW's statement below)
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'I'm unsure" if you don't trust us, you can rely on Paris Hilton" is a winning message for companies running multibillion-dollar unlawful operations out of places like Malta, Isle of Man, or US mail drops,' Friday's speaker, Howard Glaser of gaming corporation Light & Wonder, told DailyMail.com.
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Sweepstakes endorsers include a variety of celebrities from gambling lovers Drake and DJ Khaled to swimmer [Michael](http://wiki.die-karte-bitte.de/index.php/Benutzer_Diskussion:LucaWarby634) Phelps, as well as NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and [Paul George](https://zapzclubhouse.com/read-blog/2769_online-betting-firms-gamble-on-soccer-mad-nigeria.html) - none of whom use any distinctions between traditional gambling and sweepstakes play.
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Paris Hilton is seen plugging Wow Vegas, among lots of sweepstakes casinos found online
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Ryan Seacrest advises fans to dip into Chumba Casino, where lots of - however not all - games are free
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Drake has a deal with social sweeps casino, Stake, that he regularly touts on social networks
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Learn more
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Donald Trump 'set to name NBA team owner as US ambassador to Italy'
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Instead, ads normally focus around the social aspect of the gambling establishments, while leaving out the capacity for actual gambling losses.
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Others tempt customers with promises of prizes. One such operator, Stake, ran a social media advertisement flaunting Drake's vehicles, planes and mansions before pivoting to video of the rap artist playing online casino-style games.
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'Daddy, why do we have a lot money?' read the first caption on the screen.
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Another caption discussed: 'Because I never ever provided up.'
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The discrepancy between gambling websites and social or sweepstakes casinos is a bit complicated, but operators of the latter insist they're not involved with the previous.
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A representative for a market trade group, the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA), explained its members are not in direct competition with online gambling establishments and sportsbooks. Furthermore, according to SPGA information, the majority of the gamers on social-sweepstakes casinos are [sports betting](https://fishtanklive.wiki/User:SonRadke2309) free.
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'Most social sweeps consumers never make a purchase,' the SPGA representative informed DailyMail.com. 'The minority of customers who make purchases do so in quantities far smaller sized than the normal deposit or bet size at real-money online [sports betting](https://mxlinkin.mimeld.com/read-blog/698_score-big-wins-how-sports-betting-software-drives-growth-and-engagement.html) sites.'
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Social gambling establishments provide clients an opportunity to play casino-style video games with buddies. Players have the option to buy valueless currency frequently described as 'gold coins,' which can not be exchanged for real money, however can be used to unlock different functions within the games.
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But within the world of social gambling establishments exists sweepstakes video gaming, allowing customers to acquire other currency referred to as 'sweeps coins' that can be exchanged for money or other prizes.
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And therein lies the capacity for financial losses, like the ones claimed by complainants in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York City. One gamer informed the Washington Post he lost more than $100,000 on sweepstakes casinos in the past year after continuing to buy more coins in pursuit of cash and other things of worth.
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The Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George is seen promoting a Global Poker event
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Social sweeps casino Stake ran an ad flaunting Drake's vehicles, planes and mansions
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Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York City Knicks is another NBA star plugging VGW's Global Poker
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Traditional online casinos are prohibited in all but 7 states, which has assisted to fuel the popularity of sweepstakes casinos.
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Anyone over the age of 18 can access the sweepstakes websites, which do not require typically require recognition. However, sites like Chumba will request IDs from players attempting to withdraw any funds.
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Many sites, like the crypto-compatible Stake, permit clients to send mail-in requests for totally free sweeps coins, provided the gamers follow painfully specific instructions. What's more, gamers are often rewarded with sweeps coins merely for signing up, thereby providing them a reason to try their hands at any number of [casino games](https://sfqatest.sociofans.com/read-blog/710_things-you-need-to-know-about-rafting-adventures.html) for an [opportunity](https://islider.ru/read-blog/37341_uk-betting-firms-gamble-on-united-states-after-sports-wager-ruling.html) to win - or lose - real money.
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So why are sweepstakes websites permitted to run in 48 states, while online casinos are prohibited in all however 7?
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According to the stakeholders, their item is the complimentary casino-style video gaming, and the real-stakes competitors is simply a method of [promoting](http://wiki-tb-service.com/index.php?title=Benutzer:AbigailNewell5) their support.
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'Social sweepstakes video games are just a form of online home entertainment,' an SPGA representative told DailyMail.com by email. 'No purchase is required to play at social gambling establishments with sweepstakes rewards. Consumers never ever have to pay for an opportunity to win prizes. That absence of a purchase requirement - or" factor to consider" - is an essential difference between social sweeps and standard online gambling sites like gambling establishments.'
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Think about the way that McDonald's uses its annual Monopoly video game to promote its food: Customers aren't paying to gamble, however rather they're purchasing hamburgers and fries that use them the opportunity to win rewarding rewards, such as a $1 million prize.
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And without a purchase requirement, or 'consideration', the game itself does not satisfy the meaning of gambling in the US.
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'Sweepstakes are an enduring method for [promoting](https://wavedream.wiki/index.php/User:GARKazuko931453) all type of everyday organizations in the United States, everything from hamburgers to magazine memberships to coffee and home enhancement stores,' the SPGA spokesperson informed DailyMail.com. 'Sweepstakes promos are routinely used by a who's who of family names like AT&T, Chase, Home Depot, Marriott, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart.'
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But to numerous [sports betting](https://oolibuzz.com/read-blog/41714_sport-betting-industry-wants-to-protect-itself.html) market experts, that argument does not cut it.
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For starters, video gaming attorney Daniel Wallach mentions, McDonald's Monopoly video game doesn't run indefinitely. Rather, it has a distinct beginning and end, thus suggesting the sweepstakes is not the fast-food giant's primary product. Instead, the sweepstakes is being used to promote real products like french fries, shakes, and the Filet-O-Fish.
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'They do not last permanently and they're normally not tied to casino-style games of possibility,' Wallach told DailyMail.com. 'They're just cash giveaways.
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'The sweepstakes [gambling establishments] have none of the qualities frequently connected with McDonald's-style sweepstakes promotions,' Wallach continued. 'Besides running in all time, the sweepstakes gambling establishments use" casino-like" payments, normally 80 percent or more of revenues, whereas the typical payment percentage for a short-lived promotional sweepstakes is a minor share of the income made by the business [generally less than one percent]'
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Wallach fasts to compare the online social sweeps casinos to the web cafes that emerged in Florida, providing customers the possibility to play casino-style video games for real rewards. A number of those brick-and-mortar facilities have actually considering that been shuttered over accusations of illegal gaming.
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DJ Khaled is among a number of star spokespeople for VGW's Global Poker brand
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Now, Wallach argues, social sweeps casinos ought to face comparable analysis.
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'These differences are not approximate,' Wallach said of social sweeps casinos. 'They have repeatedly been cited by courts and state attorney generals as crucial consider identifying that a remained in reality a guise for illegal gambling.'
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Among the casino market's leading trade companies, the American Gaming Association, is now pushing lawmakers to examine sweepstakes operators and, sometimes, enact new legislation on the problem.
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'Consumers are being denied of securities and states are passing up considerable tax and earnings [opportunities](https://www.miptrucking.net/read-blog/1269_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) as this gaming changes that carried out through regulated channels,' read a well-circulated AGA memo.
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And then there are the plaintiffs who have actually taken legal action against social gambling establishments in more than a dozen states.
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Sweepstakes casino operators paid a combined $14.2 million in 4 different cases in Kentucky without admitting any misbehavior, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile VGW consented to pay $11.75 million in one class-action claim, saying the settlement was made to prevent legal expenses and continued lawsuits.
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Michael Phelps has actually signed a deal with the VGW Group, which owns Global Poker
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In the latest lawsuit, which is largely similar to its predecessors, New york city state homeowners Lamar Prater and Rebecca Pratt both claim to have actually lost well over $1,000 to VGW, which is described in the filing as an 'prohibited gambling business. '
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Apple and Google have also been named as offenders in lawsuits for hosting the sweepstakes websites. But unlike VGW, neither tech business responded to DailyMail.com's demand for remark.
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'We usually do not discuss matters before the courts,' a VGW representative told DailyMail.com through e-mail. 'However, we note that this claim has actually only simply been submitted with the court and VGW has actually not been officially served.
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'We have full confidence in our compliance with all laws and guidelines where we run, and stay confident about the future,' the spokesperson continued. 'We continue to use our [free-to-play video](https://projectblueberryserver.com/index.php/User:OYSPiper1287) games throughout many of North America, as we have for more than a decade, creating not just terrific video games, user experiences and home entertainment, however also ensuring this is done safely, properly and at the highest level of standards.
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'More broadly, we 'd restate that class actions and other lawsuits and arbitrations are fairly typical throughout the online social games industry (and the US more broadly), and our basic practice is that we plan to intensely safeguard any claim which might be brought versus us.'
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The problems in between traditional online [sports betting](https://online-learning-initiative.org/wiki/index.php/User:KirbyBenjamin) and sweepstakes gambling establishments could prove bothersome for some star endorsers.
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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 traditional video gaming titans like FanDuel and DraftKings.
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'It's ironic that expert athletes are hawking unlawful [sports betting](https://uptoscreen.com/read-blog/74278_sweepstakes-casino-controversy-and-celebrities-039-all-important-role.html) 'sweeps' websites while at the very same time the [leagues](https://olps.co.za/wiki/User:TroyKitson07613) wish to forecast a strong stance versus prohibited gambling - especially when attempting to tamp down the periodic [sports betting](https://miderde.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:AlisiaRasp595) scandal,' Glaser told DailyMail.com.
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It was just 8 months ago that Toronto Raptors forward [Jontay Porter](http://wiki-tb-service.com/index.php?title=Benutzer:Jennifer51X) got a life time ban from the NBA over claims he conspired with gamblers. However, to be clear, Porter's scandal is unrelated to anything including social or sweepstakes [casinos](https://trackrecord.id/read-blog/1813_how-much-are-americans-investing-in-sports-betting.html).
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Along with VGW, Apple and Google are being demanded hosting presumably unlawful gambling websites
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Regardless, Glaser sees sweepstakes gambling [establishments](https://chateando.net/read-blog/228_tennessee-sports-betting-top-4-legal-betting-sites-in-2024.html) as a major problem for leagues such as the NBA.
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'I 'd anticipate that a league crackdown on professional athletes backing sweepstakes sites is a matter of when, not if,' Glaser included.
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Neither an NBA spokesperson nor the gamers' agents reacted to DailyMail.com's ask for comment. For that matter, [spokespeople](https://wow.t-mobility.co.il/read-blog/18_just-how-much-are-americans-investing-in-sports-betting.html) for Drake, DJ Khaled, Hilton, Seacrest and Phelps also overlooked to react to DailyMail.com e-mails.
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Asked if their celeb endorsers have a duty to discuss to consumers the differences and resemblances between iGaming and sweepstakes casinos, VGW firmly insisted there is absolutely nothing more that needs to be done.
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'We have complete [confidence](https://catvcommunity.com.tr/read-blog/4477_things-you-need-to-learn-about-rafting-adventures.html) in our influencer and ambassadorial collaborations, and our business practices more broadly,' the spokesperson stated. 'Some of our worths are" our players precede" and" we do what's right", and we put our worths at the core of whatever we do.'
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Glaser, an outspoken opponent of sweepstakes sites, sees things differently.
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'Celebrities who lend their names to shady prohibited gambling websites are, at a minimum, putting their track records at risk in addition to courting civil and class actions by customers who declare damage,' Glaser stated. 'There is also some risk that state regulators and state chief law officers rope star endorsers into enforcement efforts for assisting in prohibited [sports betting](http://www.larsaluarna.se/index.php/User:LynEwx161979585).'
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New YorkNBADrakeParis Hilton
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