The Bovada offshore sportsbook has added Pennsylvania and Kansas to its restricted jurisdiction list.
The Curacao-based site, arguably the most well-known of the unregulated, unlicensed brands domestically, has now restricted 14 jurisdictions in the United States after receiving cease-and-desist orders from state regulators. Offshore sites have long been beyond the reach of state-side authorities, but a more vigorous approach has created a series of wins for American regulating and taxing agencies.
Pennsylvania is one of the most impactful. It ranks fifth in US population at almost 13 million. It ranks fifth in all-time legal sports betting handle ($31 billion) and tax revenue generated ($2.6 billion) since launching in 2018, according to the Gaming Today sports betting revenue tracker.
Pennsylvania also features legal online casino, giving residents a regulated option with Bovada now blocked. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported $510 million in revenue from all forms of legal gambling in August, an 11.6% increase from the same month in 2023.
The only larger state on the Bovada restricted list in terms of population, sports betting handle, and tax revenue is New York.
US jurisdictions now blocking Bovada:
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
Bovada Still Has Targets for Illegal Trade
Bovada has now lost five of the 10 most populous states, accounting for 67 million residents or about 20% of the national population. The top six states in legal sports betting handle are also off-limits now. With offshore markets anecdotally accounting for about half of the US trade, these states are now in line to keep more virtual dollars home.
But Bovada still has plenty of customers available, however. California (39 million) and Texas (30 million), the most populated states in the US, currently have no legal sports betting option and might not for years.
The Kansas Gaming and Racing Commission ordered Bovada to cease operations there in July. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control board followed suit in August.
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