The Colorado Limited Gaming Commission on Thursday denied a sports betting license for a United Kingdom-based company after an investigator reported the company was referring customers to mobile sportsbook operators when it was unlicensed.
The company, Online Track Limited of Yarnfield, England, applied for a vendor minor license in Colorado on Feb. 25. While the application was still pending in July, an investigator from the state’s Division of Revenue went on the company’s website, bparlay.com, and found it was “actively redirecting” users to sign up with DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook or BetMGM.
When contacted by the state’s Department of Revenue, each of the sportsbook operators said they had terminated agreements with Online Track Limited. On July 20, the Department of Revenue sent Gavin Walters, the applicant from the company, an email saying the application would be denied if it didn’t respond to the allegations within eight days.
“The Division never received a responsive email or phone call from Applicant,” according to the notice of denial issued at the commission’s meeting Thursday.
On Thursday, the website, which touts its ability to help users pick parlays, was not referring customers to sportsbooks in Colorado.
Criminal charges could be filed
During discussion at the meeting, Commissioner Richard Nathan said the agency will consider forwarding the matter to the state attorney general’s office for potential criminal charges.
Commissioner Patricia Landaveri asked whether the company could be subject to any fines or other punishment from the commission. Assistant Attorney General Torrey Sampson said it was an “awkward situation,” as the commission lacked any jurisdiction since the company wasn’t yet licensed.
Dan Hartman, director of gaming in Colorado, said that while the division has sent out cease-and-desist letters to offshore and black-market operators in the past, this was the first time it had dealt with a company that began promoting its betting services without first securing a license. Colorado launched mobile sports betting in May of 2020.
Colorado Assistant Attorney General Broderick Jones said the company’s potentially illegal activity has been on his office’s “radar” for some time. Nathan said the commission will discuss any further actions at the next public meeting on Dec. 15.
