High 5 Casino receives cease-and-desist from Maryland gambling regulator

High 5 Games courtesy image

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has sent a cease-and-desist letter to High Entertainment LLC, the online casino content provider and operator behind sweepstakes platform High 5 Casino.

The letter, sent by Managing Director, Gaming Michael Eaton, says High 5 Casino is offering online gambling in Maryland without the proper licensing.

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Online casino gambling is illegal in Maryland, while online sports betting and fantasy competitions are only permitted with licensing from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.

High Entertainment has no license to provide fantasy games or sports betting in Maryland.

High Entertainment has until 2 April to respond to this letter and provide proof that it is not offering illegal gambling options. Failure to do so may prevent the company from receiving legitimate licensing.

Other brands, such as Fortune Coins, Golden Hearts, and McLuck, also received notice from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.

High Entertainment has recently been under scrutiny from other US gambling regulators. Connecticut has removed the gaming license of its real-money online casino game development brand, High 5 Games.

A jury ordered High Entertainment to pay US$24.9 million in damages to Washington players because of the operations of its High 5 Casino platform.