Connecticut Bans High5Games

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division has suspended the license of online gaming services provider High5Games following an investigation into its operation of an unlicensed online casino.

The DCP Gaming Division found that 1,100 Connecticut users had deposited money and gambled on High5Casino, an unlicensed gaming platform. Of those, 911 lost a total of $937,938, and 108 had signed up for the Voluntary Self-Exclusion List. Those customers lost nearly $300,000.

Investigators said High5Games marketed itself as a legal “licensed” casino and accepted bets from Connecticut residents, including those on the state’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion List, a program designed to protect problem gamblers from legalized gaming activities.

DraftKings, affiliated with Foxwoods Casino, and FanDuel, affiliated with Mohegan Sun, remain the only two licensed operators for iGaming in Connecticut. All High5Games content will no longer be accessible on either platform moving forward.

“High5Games took advantage of their credential to mislead customers into believing they were participating in gaming on a legal platform when, in fact, they were breaking the law,” DCP commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement. “We remind consumers that there are only two licensed online casinos in Connecticut … and if you choose to participate in online gaming, you should only utilize one of the legal platforms licensed to operate in our state.”

DCP officials plan to seek restitution for affected customers and pursue criminal charges against High5Games for violating the state’s gaming laws. Each charge is a Class A misdemeanor carrying a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

Additionally, the DCP is suspending High5Games’ license in the state, effective immediately.

“We are disappointed that a licensed gaming service provider took advantage of Connecticut consumers by operating an illegal casino platform,” DCP Gaming Division director Kris Gilman said in a statement. “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 a platform.”

High5Games issued a statement in response to the investigation, saying that it “has always upheld the highest regulatory standards and remains committed to compliance across all jurisdictions in which we operate. Throughout our 30-year history as an established gaming brand in the U.S., we have worked closely with regulators to ensure responsible and transparent business practices, offering an experience to our loyal business partners that is both enjoyable and safe.”

While online sports betting is now legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C., with Missouri on tap to launch this fall, expansion on iGaming has moved at a much slower pace. Besides Connecticut, iGaming remains legal in only six states: Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

The suspension of High5Games’ license is the latest in a series of legal troubles for the online casino operator. Last month, a Washington jury ruled that High5Games must pay $25 million in a class-action lawsuit in connection with its sweepstakes casino model. The case alleged that High5Games conducted illegal business practices.