oddsshark banned from new jersey because of promoting offshore sites

[yeahfree]

see here, https://www.americancasinos.com/news/oddsshark-banned-from-operating-in-new-jersey-20190212-0004/

[MJM]

That was really ballsy of OddsShark to promote offshore sites right along side NJ offers to NJ visitors if true, I wonder if actual criminal charges will come of it? Nothing would surprise me.

The unfortunate thing here is it has the opposite effect of what is intended which is having affiliates only promote regulated options. I think it will take a high profile prosecution to really wake people up honestly. OddsShark will now most certainly be shut out of Pennsylvania, and likely West Virginia and other states as they come online.

I am very interested in reading a statement from OddsShark about the situation if they give one, which may be unlikely given potential ramifications. Interesting times!

[yeahfree]

That was really ballsy of OddsShark to promote offshore sites right along side NJ offers to NJ visitors if true, I wonder if actual criminal charges will come of it? Nothing would surprise me.

The unfortunate thing here is it has the opposite effect of what is intended which is having affiliates only promote regulated options. I think it will take a high profile prosecution to really wake people up honestly. OddsShark will now most certainly be shut out of Pennsylvania, and likely West Virginia and other states as they come online.

I am very interested in reading a statement from OddsShark about the situation if they give one, which may be unlikely given potential ramifications. Interesting times!

it kind of surprised me too, never has been smart to mix things. besides from that, i would expect that they would geotarget things, for instance by not showing offshore in legal states for instance.

[allaboutthebets]

I didn't know until I read this that you couldn't promote both together.

[yeahfree]

I didn't know until I read this that you couldn't promote both together.

i guess it's a bit of common sense first of all. i mean, you can ask rolex to become an official dealer and then promote the official product too on buyfakerolexhere.com , but it won't be a smart idea.

[econfox]

I contacted Fanduel when they started in New Jersey. They were very upfront about nothing offshore on any website that had Fanduel offers. I blame Oddsshark for being stupid. They could have started a new website and used all of the back office support to get a good ranking for it.

I don't think there is anything criminal in this. The NJ gaming commission will just let everyone with a gaming license know they can't do business with OddsShark. The same thing will happen in other states.

[Sherlock]

Oddshark is not just oddshark.com. If they are blocked only at that domain, they are fine. Also I guess they are nr1 bovada affiliate, they will live and fall with them. If they stop promoting bp and such they lose incredible money. Now they will focus on offshore even more. Hard to predict long term outcome.

[PROFRBcom]

Now they will focus on offshore even more. Hard to predict long term outcome.

It is unfortunate that they, or any other affiliate, would be forced to choose between one segment of operators or the other. I wish the free market could decide which platforms are best without so much interference.

[MJM]

It is unfortunate that they, or any other affiliate, would be forced to choose between one segment of operators or the other. I wish the free market could decide which platforms are best without so much interference.

Does a market exist where that is the case? Offshore sites don't pay any taxes in the regulated markets they are illegally targeting, and aren't subject to the regulations that licensed brands are. I can't understand a justification of letting one brand skirt the law while others play fair.

What brands do you promote to UK traffic? I"m guessing licensed operators correct?

[tufty]

Offshore sites don't pay any taxes in the regulated markets they are illegally targeting, and aren't subject to the regulations that licensed brands are. I can't understand a justification of letting one brand skirt the law while others play fair.

I don't think you can categorically say that the offshore operators are "illegally targeting". I think two teams of lawyers could argue that point for months in court. I think this view is more opinion than fact. Do you recall that Antigua had an argument with the USA on this very point? The WTO came down on the side of Antigua, that they were within their rights to license offshore sportsbooks serving America. The WTO did not see anything illegal happening. Branding offshore operators, especially those licensed and regulated elsewhere such as Antigua, as "illegal" is not a matter of fact but just a point of view. I appreciate it is the point of view of the US authorities, but not of the jurisdictions in which they are licensed.

On the other point Sherlock makes, as he says, some of the sums being made by affiliates from offshore operators are so enormous that those affiliates can not and will not simply shut up shop and stop promoting offshore firms. I am in that boat too - they would need to put me in handcuffs before I'd even consider stopping.

[MJM]

Tufty I'm well aware of that argument, and in theory I agree with it in substance - but it's not the reality we live in. The state of New Jersey views anyone operating in the state that isn't licensed to be operating illegally. Same goes for Pennsylvania, Iowa, Indiana, Nevada, West Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, Rhode Island, Oregon, Tennessee, and any other state that has regulated online sports betting.

Did you see this?

https://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/docs/Bulle...sing112619.pdf

To your last point, about having too much of a base to switch over - trust me I get it, it's a difficult choice. I really do think though that the offshore market is going to get squeezed off over the next couple years, so in my opinion you are trading the present for the future - because NJ and other states won't license affiliates who continue to promote offshore sites. Time will tell on all the above!

[tufty]

so in my opinion you are trading the present for the future - because NJ and other states won't license affiliates who continue to promote offshore sites. Time will tell on all the above!

I agree with most of what you have said and appreciate the info you are providing in this thread but I don't think anyone is "trading the present for the future" because it is so easy for any penalised individual to set up and promote regulated firms and not have their name in the mix, while still being the beneficial owner. They will never be able to stop any individual from re-inventing himself with a different website. Obviously all affiliates must keep regulated and offshore on separate sites. Any mixing is, frankly, moronic.

One thing I find interesting, they are saying not to promote offshore operators with regulated ones. That is also the angle they have come at oddsshark. What they have not said yet is 'don't promote offshore operators'. They have not said in that media bulletin 'don't mention offshore operators', just 'if you have to mention them' then don't link etc. I know it is a tiny step for them to say "don't promote offshore firms at all". However if they really want that to happen then they need to close the offshore operators entirely, rather than attack the affiliates and media outlets (the latter are acting as affiliates anyway when they mention bovada or whoever).

Also, there is an error in their letter to oddsshark: Bovada is described (along with betonline and 5dimes) as accepting New Jersey residents. Bovada does not do this. Yes, the others do. I know this could seem an irrelevant point, except the US authorities don't seem to have all their facts straight.

With oddsshark, it seems all they need to do to comply with the letter is remove all licensed operators and keep promoting all offshore ones. That actually is a fairly weak position for the authorities to take don't you think? I wonder why they are pulling their punches slightly on this issue.

[Sherlock]

This is normal old school totalitarianism. Nothing wrong also with that, because it comes with real power. They want you to do what they want WITHOUT telling what they exactly want. That is totalitarianism.

I want to point out 2 things:

- they go to the extent that you can not promote even in Europe for example Bwin (because they want to go to USA), id you have 5dimes in the USA/NJ. Sure it goes beyond anything sane, but when you have on the other side the Bwin manager for Italy, who threatens you to close your account... well good luck with lawsuit... where?

- my company account in Switzerland was closed, because US/Sheldon wants it. The account was never receiving any money from USA, had nothing to do with USA. The account was receiving commissions only from regulated EU bookies like bet365. I know it only because I got drunk with the banker at polo several times. But because the US have agenda against gambling, they have so much power, that they do even **** like this. You can not sue anyone for closed account. You can just prey someone else will open another one.

People have tendency to ignore what is absurd. But it is good not to ignore it. Yes, normal accounts are not closed by now, because they are under certain threshold. But it is really happening.

[econfox]

This topic has been discussed before. I think these two threads are relevant.

This was from another thread from May 2018 on what will happen now that sports betting is legal in more US states
https://www.gpwa.org/forum/u-s-sport...244731/p2.html

Because right now it isn't considered lost tax revenue. But, once sports betting is legalized the government will spend the anticipated tax revenue several times over. When the revenue doesn't match the projections then they will blame offshore operators. It is the same thing with legal pot in my state. The tax projections were way off but the government already put the projected revenue in the budget.
The key is that once the tax revenue is in the budget the government will then go after anyone who is not paying taxes (license fees for casinos). To get to the offshore operators they will just lean on the countries that allow them to operate.

This was from August 2018
New Jersey Regulators Going After "Bad Actors" = Bovada

*** Bovada was not even active in New Jersey***
It doesn't matter. These are politicians who believe money not in their pocket was money stolen from them.

https://www.gpwa.org/forum/new-jerse...hlight=econfox