Popular television and radio personality Ryan Seacrest has been hit with a lawsuit for his promotional activities for a gambling company. A California resident by the name of Aubrey Carillo has sued Seacrest for promoting ​​an online sweepstakes casino.
There is not more access to interesting gambling options, including social platforms and real money casinos. Industry expert Andjelija Blagojevic wrote a Card Player’s guide, which highlights this development, specifically mentioning the benefits of Inclave casinos and how it saves users multiple logins. With the increasing traction in this sector, it is not surprising that celebrities would get on board.
Details About The Lawsuit
The lawsuit targets Seacrest and VGW Holdings, the sweepstakes platform’s parent company. The allegation is that they are offering unregistered sweepstakes casino services and thus need to be shut down. The suit, which was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Riverside, states that Seacrest has been promoting the sweepstakes casino via his social media.
This is not the first lawsuit of this year to specifically target sweepstakes casinos. Sweepstakes operate in a very unique sphere, given that they are not really considered gambling per se. Sweepstakes players can buy virtual currency with actual money, which is then used to place bets. They have the chance to win more of these digital currencies and then convert them to regular money.
The Sweepstakes Controversy
Some believe that sweepstakes casinos are perfectly legal entities, while others believe they should be banned. It is worth noting that there is currently a regulatory back-and-forth regarding sweepstakes in the United States. Louisiana, New York, Connecticut, and Montana are just a few states in the US that are passing anti-sweepstakes laws.
Assembly Bill 6745, for example, was introduced in New York by Assemblymember Carrie Woerner and was unanimously approved by the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee. This bill sought to ban online sweepstakes advertisements via New York’s racing and wagering laws. As sweepstakes grow more popular, companies in the space will turn towards celebrity endorsements to get their name out to the public. Seacrest has also endorsed many businesses in the past.
Clearly, at least a few California residents feel the same, given the current lawsuit. Ryan Seacrest, on his part, has not responded to any of the criticisms. Only time will tell what the fallout of this lawsuit will be. In the legal sense, it could lead to problems for sweepstakes casinos in general. From a social perspective, it could create more stigma around celebrities endorsing sweepstakes products in the future. Either way, the story is far from over.
