Virtual Gaming Worlds Ordered to Cease Online Gaming in Maryland
Maryland’s gaming authority has directed Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) to stop operating its online casino platforms within the state.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:According to reports, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) informed VGW that its Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots brands were engaging in online gambling without legal authorization.
First reported by Daniel Wallach in Forbes, the letter pointed out that Maryland law permits only online sports betting and fantasy competitions, not online casino gaming.
The regulator stated that it “has no record of VGW being issued a sports wagering license, a casino gaming license, or registration as a fantasy competition operator.”
VGW Given Deadline to Comply
Earlier this year, the MLGCA moved to remove unauthorized gaming operators from the state. Now, VGW has been given a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on March 27 to confirm it will cease offering its gaming services in Maryland.
If VGW believes its operations are legal, the agency has requested a formal legal analysis explaining how the company is permitted to offer sports wagering, casino games, or fantasy competitions without proper registration or licensing.
Failure to comply could jeopardize VGW’s ability to obtain future licenses or certifications from the Maryland Gaming Commission.
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VGW Representative Advocates for Regulation Over Prohibition
The cease-and-desist order came just one day after a VGW representative, Josh White, spoke at a Maryland House Ways and Means Committee hearing regarding House Bill 1140, introduced by Del. Eric Ebersole. The bill aims to impose stricter penalties on illegal online gaming and prohibit sweepstakes casinos in Maryland.
During his testimony, White argued that sweepstakes and social gaming should not be classified as illegal gambling and urged lawmakers to regulate the industry rather than ban it altogether.
VGW uses sweepstakes promotions the same way that McDonald’s and Microsoft do: as a marketing tool where players never pay for a chance to win.
White argued that the proposed ban was based on misconceptions and would force Maryland players onto unregulated offshore platforms, and that “a better approach is regulation, not prohibition.”
While no vote was taken on the House bill, its companion legislation, Senate Bill 860, introduced by Sen. Paul Corderman, was unanimously approved in the state Senate with a 47-0 vote on the same day the MLGCA sent its letter to VGW. The bill is now scheduled for a House committee hearing on March 20. The MLGCA has submitted letters supporting both bills.
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