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Evolution Gaming has just announced an internal investigation. This comes after claims of illegal market allegations. The probe will determine if these claims of doing business in illegal markets have any foundation.
Evolution Gaming Investigates Illegal Market Operation Claims
Evolution Gaming has recently come under scrutiny by the online gambling community. An unnamed “U.S. interest” has alleged the company’s North American subsidiary is doing business in illegal markets. The accusation states that Evolution AB is running live dealer tables in unregulated or prohibited markets.
An anonymous complaint to the New Jersey DGE has alleged that Evolution Gaming is allowing business operations in countries where online gambling is prohibited.
This anonymous complaint was filed with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. In it, the group alleges that a probe was conducted of Evolution’s online gambling operations. They claim to have found a problem with Evolution’s live dealer tables during the investigation. This inquiry says that the group’s live dealer tables can be accessed in Sudan, Syria and Iraq via offshore operators.
If there is any truth to the claims, this is a severe breach for Evolution. These countries do not permit online gambling in any form. Additionally, each country is currently subject to sanctions by the United States.
The public relations firm handling statements for the unnamed party has said that the source is not a direct competitor. This potentially adds a small amount of additional credibility to the claims against Evolution Gaming. However, further investigation is needed.
Evolution Gaming Has Publicly Denied Any Wrongdoing
These types of serious allegations cannot go unanswered. This is especially true since the story has been covered by major news outlets like Bloomberg.
Evolution Gaming, the parent company of Evolution AB, is one of the biggest names in the online gambling industry. In addition, they are the top live dealer operator in the United States. The firm is currently licensed to operate in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania. However, their status as the largest B2B online gaming dealer makes them a target.
The United States market is highly competitive right now. As more states open their borders, it is unsurprising that market competition is exceptionally high. Operators are vying for as big a piece of the pie as quickly as possible.
For this reason, Evolution believes that the anonymous claims are nothing more than a smear campaign. The company has denied responsibility for the accusations brought against them. They think that this complaint is a “hit job” with the goal of damaging their excellent reputation.
However, Evolution has also actively reached out to U.S. regulatory bodies to offer cooperation and ease any concerns. They strictly maintain that they only partner with licensed B2C operators. Additionally, they stated that they “always do their due diligence of the operators [they have] contracts with.”
The games giant commented, “The control of who plays the game is a strict responsibility of the operator. Evolution provides a service to the operator who in turn provides their services to the players.”
Internal Review to Deliver “Swift Response” to Allegations
Evolution Gaming has taken the stance that it is the responsibility of the operators to comply with market regulations. This means that they provide a service to operators, but the operators must conduct due diligence before accepting players.
Additionally, Evolution does not believe this unnamed source was able to access its live dealer games from U.S.-sanctioned countries. The company’s statement added that “sophisticated technical manipulation” would have to be employed to get around regulatory safeguards.
Investigators provided what were purported to be screenshots of live dealer games accessed in the prohibited countries. However, Evolution says that regulatory misconduct falls squarely on the shoulders of the B2C online casino operators. U.S. regulators are especially cautious right now since the market is so newly opened.
Despite denying responsibility for the alleged breaches of conduct, Evolution is taking internal action. The company has announced a thorough internal review of its businesses. This internal probe is intended to provide a “swift response” to questions or concerns that regulators may have in the future.
However, these types of allegations are common in the online gambling industry. Additionally, VPN software and other methods are common player tactics used to skirt regulations.
The anonymous source of the complaint claims that its only goal is to “level the playing field.” Regardless of the outcome, this is an unpleasant mark on Evolution Gaming’s reputation. Accusations like this will always raise suspicions, even if they prove false.