High 5 Games Pays $1.5 Million for Violations

High 5 Games LLC has struck a deal with Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection and paid a $1.5 million settlement to deal with hundreds of counts of illegal casino operations.

This has to be considered a win for High 5 Games, which voluntarily withdrew from Connecticut and several other states earlier in the year. The action continued, and High 5 Games faced serious charges that included accepting players that had voluntarily signed up for a statewide self-exclusion list.

High 5 Games didn’t have access to that list due to its licensing status, but Connecticut’s DCP’s Gaming Division went after them anyway.

Supplier License Restored

High 5 is also a licensed game provider with ties the only two licensed online casinos in Connecticut.  Those are DraftKings and FanDuel, which have partnerships with Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun land-based casinos. When the state’s DCP accused them of violating gaming laws back in March, their supplier license was suspended.

The DCP’s Gaming Division confirmed it’s been fully reinstated following the settlement.

“This case is just one example of the hard work our Gaming Division does to ensure a fair, safe and legal gaming market in Connecticut,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli.

Sweepstakes Casinos Still a Legal Grey Area

High 5 hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, and the legal grey area surrounding sweepstakes casinos remains as murky as ever. But the operator cooperated fully, and agreed to submit quarterly compliance reports through April next year.

It also promised not to offer or license its games to any other sweepstakes operators in Connecticut unless they get explicit state approval. That point is now largely moot, as Connecticut has passed new legislation banning sweepstakes casinos entirely.