After the latest action from U.S. sports betting markets, Bovada is not permitted in three more states. That’s a total of 14 sports betting markets no longer offering Bovada’s services. The three states that now restrict Bovada are Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. Bovada is an illegal offshore market that agencies like the American Gaming Association (AGA) are cracking down on.
To help these efforts, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board sent a letter in August asking Bovada to leave their market. Additionally, Louisiana sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada. Kansas sports betting regulators were trying to get Bovada to leave as early as July 2024.
What will happen when Bovada leaves the Pennsylvania sports betting market?
September 17 was the last day Bovada was available for residents of Pennsylvania to use. The Keystone State joined a list of 14 other markets that have restricted Bovada from operating. Luckily, Pennsylvania is the number one state in terms of iGaming revenue. Now that Bovada is no longer in the market, it’s estimated that Pennsylvania could see higher gross gaming revenue (GGR).
In July 2024, Pennsylvania online sportsbooks generated $215.4 million in GGR. Now that the Keystone State has banned Bovada from its market, there are 14 total markets where the operator is restricted. They include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Back in June, Bovada restricted five states from access to their wagering app. Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey already banned Bovada. Several state gaming regulators have sent Bovada’s owner, Harp Media, cease-and-desist letters. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) was one of them.
Louisiana is one of several states looking to legalize iGaming in 2025
Sports betting and iGaming are not on level playing fields. There are 35+ states with some form of legal sports betting. However, only eight of them offer iGaming. It’s a clear disparity between the two and states are working to fix that. In 2025, Ohio lawmakers could introduce an online casino bill. New York plans to have iGaming and iLottery on a bill in 2025.
In October, Louisiana lawmakers will meet to discuss whether iGaming should be legalized. Moving forward, they will not have to deal with Bovada as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board sent a cease-and-desist letter on August 6.
