The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has sent cease and desist letters to two live dealer casino streaming companies that broadcast from Las Vegas.
Playgon Interactive and its affiliated company, Bitrate Productions, are accused of sending live footage of Nevada-based roulette and baccarat gameplay around the world. They allegedly did so without holding the appropriate licenses in the Silver State.
Regulators say that Playgon has expanded the role of Bitrate in its broadcasting services, and Bitrate does not have any license to offer gambling in Nevada. It is unclear exactly where Playgon and/or Bitrate’s Las Vegas broadcasts are made from. The operator runs a selection of live-streamed dealer games, which it calls VegasLounge.
“The NGCB will take all necessary actions to enforce Nevada’s gaming laws and regulations,” NGCB chairman Kirk Hendricks said.
The Letters
Media revealed this week that on July 18, the NGCB sent its legal demands to Playgon and Bitrate. The letters affirmed that the regulator will take civil and/or criminal proceedings against both operators if they do not immediately stop the offending gambling broadcasts.
The Board said it has officially sent warning letters on two prior occasions to Playgon, questioning the role of Bitrate within its streaming activities. On one of those occasions, the regulator says Playgon replied that Bitrate did not require a license, as it dealt with entertainment-only social casino-style gaming, and not real-money gambling.
However, the NGCB clearly determined that this was not true, and that Bitrate was involved with the global gambling streaming.
“At some point, however, Bitrate’s activities went beyond social gaming,” the cease and desist letters said.
The regulator has given Bitrate until today, Friday July 26, at 5 p.m. PDT to cease its operations in compliance.
The Companies
Playgon claims to offer a service no one else does – live casino games streamed from Las Vegas.
“The FIRST and ONLY Live Dealer Casino, streaming live from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas,” it proudly says on its website, capitals included.
That could technically be true right now. But the largest Las Vegas Strip casino operator MGM Resorts International recently announced it would be moving into live streaming.
It signed a deal with European live casino provider Playtech to live stream baccarat and roulette gameplay directly from the casino floors at its iconic MGM Grand and Bellagio Las Vegas casinos.
Playgon doesn’t list where exactly it broadcasts from in Las Vegas, and a fairly extensive search didn’t bring up any concrete results. It apparently did offer investor tours of the space in 2021.
According to its own information, Playgon is based in Vancouver, Canada, and is licensed for gambling operations in the European island of Malta. Bitrate Productions has far less concrete information on its website, but does say it is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Neither operator has given public comment on the issue as of yet.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
