On Monday, the Department of Consumer Protection in Connecticut suspended the supplier license of High 5 Games because it also operates High 5 Casino, a sweepstakes casino that the DCP’s Gaming Division says it considers illegal gambling. The following day, High 5 Games responded to say it intends to cooperate fully with the investigation and hopes to regain the right to supply its games to the two legal real-money online casinos in the state.
High 5 underscored its more than three decades in the gaming industry with a stellar record of compliance and promised to work with regulators in cooperation. In a statement provided to Gaming Insider, the company also said,
We pride ourselves on the games we deliver as a B2B supplier to operators in all regulated markets in the United States, Canada and Latin America. Honor, trust and legal compliance will always be cornerstones of our business.
High 5 has been charged with 1,065 counts of illegal gaming activity in Connecticut. It faces potential fines in addition to the suspension of its license to supply real money online casino content in Connecticut, which took effect immediately on Monday.
In an official statement, High 5 reacted to the decision:
We are committed to cooperating with Connecticut regulators to resolve this matter and maintain the integrity of our gaming licenses. Our focus remains on delivering exceptional and innovative gaming experiences while fully complying with all state and country regulations.
Meanwhile, in a statement to Bonus, the DCP confirmed that there is the potential for High 5 Games to regain its license if it makes good on that promise. Either way though, High 5 Casino is likely to remain inaccessible to players in the Nutmeg State.
High 5 gaming supplier status in limbo
In the past, High 5, which offers a product that exists in the area that rests between regulated casino activity and non-real money sweepstakes style casino games, has voluntarily ceased operations in states that have requested it to do so. In February, High 5 announced it was blocking consumers from using its app in several states: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Connecticut. However, apparently the move may have come too late in the Constitution State, as consumers allegedly were able to set up accounts before a March 14 deadline.
Fallout from its suspension in Connecticut impacts the role High 5 has as a supplier of games to licensed real-money online casinos operators. It remains to be seen what stipulations the Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division may place on the company in Connecticut to return it to supplier status, or if it will at all.
Connecticut has history of action against sweeps casinos
The swift action against High 5 is the latest in efforts by regulators to keep the gaming industry safe in Connecticut.
Last October, the DCP issued a cease-and-desist letter to Chumba Casino, and ordered that other casino-style sweepstakes games from parent company Virtual Gaming Worlds like Luckyland Slots and Global Poker were also unwelcome here.
State regulators are keen to emphasize that illegal gaming operators pose a threat to consumers, and that money spent with those operators is not protected from fraud or unwarranted loss.
Kris Gilman, DCP Gaming Division Director said over the matter;
We are disappointed that a licensed gaming service provider took advantage of Connecticut consumers by operating an illegal casino platform. It is difficult to recover funds for consumers from illegal platforms. We remind consumers that gambling on licensed platforms is the only way to guarantee recovered funds in the event of an issue with a game or platform.
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