Minnesota Attorney General issues cease-and-desist orders to 14 gambling sites | Yogonet International
Summary
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has issued cease-and-desist orders to 14 unlicensed offshore sportsbooks and sweepstakes-style casinos, directing them to halt operations in the state by 1 December. The action targets operators that continued to serve Minnesota residents despite warnings from the state’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division in June.
The named platforms include VG LuckyLand, BetAnySports, BetUS, XBet, BetNow, BetWhale, BetOnline, Slotsandcasino, EveryGame, Bovada, Sportsbetting.com, Zula Casino, Fortune Coins and MyBookie. Operators who ignore the deadline face civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, restitution and possible injunctions.
Ellison emphasised that real-money online casinos and sports betting remain illegal in Minnesota, and singled out sweepstakes casinos that use virtual “sweeps coins” for cash redemption as blurring the line with unlawful gambling. The enforcement aligns with a wider state-level push against offshore and unregulated operators and follows Google’s recent move to declassify sweepstakes casinos from generic social-casino ad categories.
Key Points
- AG Keith Ellison issued cease-and-desist orders to 14 offshore sportsbooks and sweepstakes casinos to stop operating in Minnesota by 1 December 2025.
- Targets include popular offshore brands such as BetUS, Bovada, BetOnline and EveryGame, among others.
- These operators were previously warned in June by the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division but did not comply.
- Non-compliance risks civil fines up to $25,000 per violation, restitution and injunctions.
- The action specifically calls out sweepstakes-style casinos using “sweeps coins” that can be converted to cash as effectively operating unlawful gambling.
- The move is part of a larger national enforcement trend; a potential legalisation bill in Minnesota could be introduced in 2026, keeping the issue active politically.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you work in payments, compliance, affiliates, platform ops or regulation this is a proper red flag. Minnesota just put a deadline and heavy fines on the table — and it’s part of a wider state-level crackdown. Saves you digging through press releases: this spells tighter scrutiny for offshore and sweepstakes models targeting US states.
Context and relevance
This enforcement matter is important because it underlines how US states are increasingly moving beyond mere warnings to take concrete legal action against unlicensed online gambling operators. For operators and service providers, it raises compliance risk for running or promoting offshore sportsbooks and sweepstakes casinos, especially those using virtual currencies redeemable for cash.
For regulators and consumer-protection stakeholders, the case highlights coordinated tools — cease-and-desist orders, fines and injunctions — being used to deter unregulated activity. The decision follows advertising policy shifts (notably Google’s move on sweepstakes casino ads), which further isolates these operators and may influence industry behaviour and payment flows.
Finally, the mention of a possible 2026 bill keeps the regulatory outlook uncertain: business models that are illegal today in Minnesota could become subject to new rules if legislative change occurs, but until then enforcement remains the primary risk.