Hunting the “Gray” Market: How to Make Money on Illegal Casinos Using a Wild West-Era Law

An Illinois resident, Mark Lavery, demonstrated remarkable ingenuity by deciding to profit from representatives of the "gray" gambling industry. Armed with legal norms that are more than three hundred years old, he filed lawsuits against three gambling platforms at once.

The essence of Lavery's claims is simple: he argues that the companies disguise illegal gambling as harmless sweepstakes and fantasy sports, misleading regulators.

Johnny, Load the Shotgun!

For his attack, Lavery dusted off an ancient document, the Statute of Anne, adopted back in the early 18th century. This set of rules was used during the era of saloons and duels, but, as it turned out, it has not lost its legal force even today.

The main feature of the law lies in its loss-recovery mechanism. If the game was conducted illegally, the money can be recovered through court. But the most "delicious" part is that absolutely anyone can act as the plaintiff, not just the person who lost the money.

This loophole is exactly what the modern-day "bounty hunter" took advantage of. Mark conducted a thorough investigation and collected evidence against three local platforms: Props, Novig, and Dabble. In his opinion, these companies not only accept illegal bets under the guise of permitted entertainment but also colluded to jointly promote their services within the state.

What Does the Plaintiff Demand?

Lavery is not aiming small. In his lawsuit, he put forward a number of tough demands:

• Recover triple the amount of players' losses from the violators.
• Fully compensate all court and legal expenses.
• Impose a ban on the operation of these projects.

Case Prospects

If the court sides with Lavery, it will create an extremely powerful precedent. Successful application of a law from the 1700s could open Pandora's box: an army of people seeking easy money may begin filing mass lawsuits against any casinos operating in the "gray" zone.

All attention is now focused on the upcoming hearings. It is possible that Mark will indeed hit the jackpot. However, it is worth remembering that the real giants of the industry, operating from offshore jurisdictions, remain beyond the reach of American justice - an 18th-century law simply can't reach them.