NGCB Orders Playgon To Stop Producing Live Gambling Shows in Nevada

Posted on: July 25, 2024, 06:54h.

Last updated on: July 25, 2024, 07:03h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has warned Canadian-based Playgon Interactive, Inc. and an affiliate, Bitrate Productions, to stop producing live gaming shows from Las Vegas or elsewhere in Clark County by Friday afternoon.

Vegas Lounge is one of the programs from Playgon Interactive. The NGCB issued a cease-and-desist order against the company. (Image: Playgon)

The NGCB sent the companies a cease-and-desist order, the agency revealed on Thursday. If the company ignores the order, it could face legal consequences.

Playgon, through Bitrate, currently produces gaming content from a Las Vegas studio. Dealers don’t have appropriate Nevada licenses, the NGCB claims.

Bitrate is using live dealers in Las Vegas to deal games such as baccarat and roulette, and broadcasts the content to online casinos located around the world,” the NGCB said in a statement.

The NGCB called the programming a “criminal violation” of the Nevada Gaming Control Act.

“The NGCB will take all necessary actions to enforce Nevada’s gaming laws and regulations,” NGCB Chairman Kirk Hendrick further warned.

The NGCB also threatened to launch criminal or civil litigation against the companies if the order is ignored.

Company Must Comply By Friday

The absolute deadline for Playgon and Bitrate to follow the NGCB order is 5 p.m. PT on Friday, according to a NGCB July 18 letter.

Bitrate would need a license from the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) to legally produce and broadcast the gambling shows, the NGCB explained.

Previously, Playgon’s attorneys in 2016 claimed Bitrate wouldn’t need an NGC license because they promised programming would be used for “entertainment purposes only,” the NGCB statement said. “At some point, however, Bitrate’s activities went beyond social gaming.”

Playgon is a Vancouver-based Software as a Service tech company. It develops and licenses digital iGaming content.

Its platform includes live dealer casino, e-table games and daily fantasy sports. Online casinos, sportsbook operators, land-based operators, media groups, and database companies are among its customers.

On its website, Playgon said it’s “The FIRST and ONLY Live Dealer Casino, streaming live from the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas!”

We have taken Live Dealer casino games to the next level, bringing cutting-edge handheld features and functionality to the mobile generation of gaming enthusiasts who demand a world-class gaming experience on all devices.”