The list of states where the illegal offshore sportsbook Bovada is available continued to shrink this week, as it shut down its Tennessee sports betting operation.
The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council announced Thursday that Bovada is no longer operating in the Tennessee sports betting market. Bovada’s website now lists Tennessee among the 16 US markets it restricts.
“Our licensed sportsbook operators provide important consumer protections not found in the illegal market, and the closure of Bovada’s virtual doors in Tennessee is an important step toward the eradication of unlicensed, illegal sportsbooks in Tennessee,” TSWC Chairman Billy Orgel said in a release. “One of the Council’s primary roles is the protection of the public interest through a safe, regulated environment, and our staff will continue to work closely with our network of law enforcement at the state and federal level to eliminate illegal sports betting.”
Tennessee offshore sports betting action
Tennessee regulators sent Bovada a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year. The Sports Wagering Council also fined the illegal sportsbook $50,000.
Bovada alerted its customers on Tuesday that it was closing Tennessee sports betting accounts, according to the release.
The Sports Wagering Council said offshore sportsbooks do not protect financial and personal information and offer no consumer protections for their money.
Joins growing list
Michigan kicked off a significant wave of states taking action against Bovada earlier this year.
Prior to Tennessee, Massachusetts was the most recent state to see Bovada leave after the state’s attorney general issued a cease-and-desist order to the operator.
The list of markets Bovada restricts is now up to 16:
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- DC
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
Offshore sports betting fight
The American Gaming Association estimates Americans bet nearly $64 million annually with illegal sportsbooks.
The AGA and multiple state regulators have asked the federal government for help stopping illegal sports betting operators.
Prior to this season’s NFL betting kickoff, the IRS noted the illegal market is worth about $700 million.
