A new lawsuit filed in New Jersey on November 27 accuses tech companies Google and Apple, along with sweepstakes and casino operators, of being involved in spreading illegal gambling.
Lawsuit Targets Google and Apple Over Alleged Involvement in Illegal Gambling
Julian Bargo, a New Jersey resident, has filed a lawsuit claiming he lost over $1,000 on sweepstakes casinos. The case names High 5 Casino, McLuck, Wow Vegas, and CrownCoins Casino, accusing them of running illegal gambling sites.
Bargo is also suing Apple, Apple Pay, Google, and Google Pay, arguing that they helped these casinos operate. He’s using the RICO Act, usually applied to organized crime, to back his claims.
The lawsuit claims Apple and Google are making illegal profits from sweepstakes casinos. Since their app stores take a share of the earnings from apps, including these casinos, and they provide payment options for them, the suit says they are part of the problem.
Julian Bargo Claims Over $1,000 Lost to Sweepstakes Casinos
Bargo argues that sweepstakes casinos pretend to be social casinos but are actually unregulated gambling sites with no oversight. The complaint includes ads that Bargo claims are misleading, tricking people into thinking these sites are free to play.
Sweepstakes and social casinos operate without regulation or licenses. However, states like Michigan and Ohio have cracked down on them, sending cease-and-desist letters to operators like those named in the lawsuit.
This is the first lawsuit to include Google and Apple as co-defendants, though payment processors have been sued in similar cases before. For example, a Florida lawsuit against VGW also named Worldpay as a defendant.
Social casinos let users play for free or buy virtual currency. This currency unlocks gambling-style games like slots, blackjack, and roulette. Some platforms go further by adding sweepstakes features with real-money prizes.
These platforms are popular because they’re easy to use and entertaining. While they appear to follow state laws, critics say they effectively turn smartphones into unregulated gambling tools.
Unlike regular casinos, sweepstakes operators don’t need licenses in the US. They avoid paying gaming taxes, even though they target American users. Most of these companies are also based outside the US.
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