Bovada bans players from Maryland
Morris Mohawk-owned site will also take no new sign-ups from three other states.
Morris Mohawk’s US-facing Bovada.lv poker site has banned players from Maryland from signing up or playing on the site, according to an email seen by eGaming Review.
Citing “continuing difficulties finding and maintaining acceptable payment options”, the move follows Maryland authorities indicting Bodog founder Calvin Ayre and three other individuals on counts of operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Maryland was also the state where a government-informant payment processor brought about the seizure of multiple domain names on Blue Monday and the subsequent closure of BetED and the indictment of two connected individuals.
Bovada was rebranded from Bodog.eu after Morris Mohawk’s licensing agreement with BodogBrand ended last year, and its launch in December 2011 signified the exit of the Bodog brand name from the American market.
Players from Maryland will see their accounts closed, while they have been requested to contact Bovada directly over payouts. According to various sources the site has also stopped new sign-ups from three further states: New York, Utah and Washington.
Meanwhile another site, Power Poker, has pulled out of the US market altogether, according to affiliate site Poker Affiliate Solutions.
Part of the Cake network, the site had banned new sign-ups from American players since June, and its withdrawal will see player accounts and balances transferred to another network site, Colt Poker.