Evolution’s accusation of Illegal wagering – what is this about?
November 12th will be a day that Evolution will long remember. Indeed, this is when attorney Ralph Marra sent a letter to the DGE informing the regulator of Evolution’s suspicious activity. According to the firm, Evolution was doing business in countries on the US ban list like Iran, Sudan, Singapore, and Syria. Read more about the Evolution Illegal wagering rumor.
Following the allegation, the company’s share plunged by almost 10%. But the live casino supplier cleared their good name with what you’ll read below.
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How the rumors came to the press and the story started
Without a crystal ball, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the claim started. This is because several news outlets reported different things in the past weeks. And Evolution didn’t confirm the source of the matter. So, in this news, we’ll try to give you the big picture. This way, you can draw your conclusion of what went down.
To sum up, some say Ralph Marra sent a letter to the DGE following an anonymous competitor complaint. Others claim the letter reached the watchdog after some “private investigator” looked into Evolution. In addition, the plaintiffs have recorded users wagering using Bitcoin in countries where gambling is not allowed. The allegation also hints that the family of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was playing Evolutions live casino games.
Evolution issue its official reply and closes the matter
Claims of illegal activity are of the utmost importance for Evolution and its excellent reputation. Hence, Carl Linton, the head of investor relations, issued an official reply reiterating that the company “strictly complies with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Later, Martin Carlesund, Evolution’s CEO, reminded the press it is a game supplier. So they have no “relationship” with the players who could have wagered illegally on their games because they don’t “handle players’ money, nor can they screen them. Instead, screening is the operator’s responsibility. This means that it’s an online casino’s duty to KYC all its players before accepting a wager on a blackjack table, for example.
Evolution Illegal wagering rumor – So who’s at fault?
Online gambling laws are complex, and on blackjack.me, we’re not legal experts. Yet, Evolution isn’t wrong to turn its finger towards the operator, in our opinion. Indeed, part of an online casino’s responsibility is to know its customers. This means they have proof that the patrons wagering on their site are of the legal gambling age. Plus, they have to make sure they use a payment method that belongs to them. And, of course, play within the border of the territory where the license is from.
To ensure an operator complies with its license obligations. They often use IP blocks so that only patrons in a set jurisdiction can access their site and games. But as technology evolves, players can find ways around IP blocks. And it could be what happened here if we had to guess.
On the flip side of the Evolution Illegal wagering rumor
Sure, some could say that if online casinos can block IPs. So could Evolution. But if a player masks or changes its IP. How could Evolution know they’re playing in a banned country when all they have is a nickname?
Without a doubt, it is not in Evolution’s interest to accept illegal bets. The public company has too much at stake. As a rule of thumb, suppliers held responsible for breaching their license pay millions in fines. Plus, they could see their rights for specific markets revoked. New Jersey is booming right now. And Evolution also offers games in Michigan, Pennsylvania, etc. Would they jeopardize driving value to their shareholders? And this for the sake of accommodating illegal bets? For us, it would make no sense if they did. But what do you think?
