Five U.S. states order a metaverse casino with alleged ties to Russia to halt sale of NFTs

Five U.S. states order a metaverse casino with alleged ties to Russia to halt sale of NFTs

Article brief provided by CNBC
  • Paige Tortorelli, Eamon Javers and Scott Zamost, CNBC
May 11, 2022 6:44 PM
  • Paige Tortorelli, Eamon Javers and Scott Zamost, CNBC

Regulators in five states simultaneously filed emergency orders Wednesday against a virtual casino they say has ties to Russia and that has been operating in the metaverse, a digital world where participants can interact with each other, purchase products and even gamble.

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State law enforcement officials say Flamingo Casino Club’s operators failed to disclose its Russian ties and claimed it had partnerships with legitimate businesses when it didn’t. The civil filing represents a new and coordinated effort by state regulators to police some of what is going on amid the explosive growth of the metaverse, where innovation and speculation have also provided fertile territory for criminals engaged in alleged fraud, theft and deception.