Maryland regulator sends cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes platforms
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has sent 11 cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes operators.
Despite six operators responding to the letters, none of the sites have agreed to stop accepting Maryland customers.
The revelation came from a Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency overview of its operations published on 15 January.
The document details how the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency sent 11 cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes operators it considers illegal.
While the operators were not named in the report, the agency has subsequently revealed that six of the sites that responded were Zula, McLuck, Rebet, Fortune Coins, Golden Hearts, and Stake.us.
Meanwhile, BetNow, BetUS, Everygame Sportsbook, SlotsAndCasino, and BetAnySports received letters but did not respond to the request to stop accepting players in Maryland.
The agency is sending follow-up letters to sweepstakes sites and separate letters to payment providers demanding that these operations cease in Maryland.
As the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency report outlines, Maryland is already following a model enforced by several U.S. states.
In 2024, sweepstakes operator VGW Holdings left the Connecticut market following a cease-and-desist letter from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
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