Atlantic City Gambling Establishments Forced to Repay $77,000 in Winnings
The recent issue that has surfaced in Atlantic City involves five casinos and a racetrack that were required to return a total of $77,000 in winnings. The individuals responsible for placing the wagers that led to the house win were either underage gamblers or individuals who had placed themselves on a self-exclusion gambling list.
In addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar establishments, online sportsbook and casino platforms were also implicated in the latest round of enforcement. DraftKings, a popular online sportsbook, received a $7,500 fine for related offenses, while Rush Street Interactive was penalized $2,000 for accepting wagers on unapproved events.
New Jersey has a strict list of approved sports and events on which gambling companies are permitted to accept wagers. Offering selections on anything outside of these whitelisted sports and events triggers regulatory scrutiny and often results in enforcement action.
Despite the recent developments, it is important to note that New Jersey’s gambling establishments have not been lowering their standards. In fact, most of the issues were identified and reported by the casinos themselves, demonstrating their proactive stance in upholding regulatory standards.
Nevertheless, casinos in Atlantic City are held to a rigorous standard and are responsible for preventing ineligible gamblers from accessing their products. Some of the cases also involved individuals on the self-exclusion list, which prohibits them from participating in gambling activities.
The enforcement measures also extend to the forfeiture of winnings obtained through these unlawful wagers. Resorts, one of the casinos involved, had to return $51,000 in winnings from cases dating back to 2020. Other casinos had smaller sums to return, with Ocean Casino Resort forfeiting $7,500 and Harrah’s returning just $900.
Furthermore, Freehold Raceway and Golden Nugget had to forfeit $4,400 and $4,200, respectively. Bally’s returned over $5,600 in winnings. While the reported amounts of the offenses may seem small, they could result in more serious reviews and enforcement actions, including fines, if the offenses are repeated.
Overall, the recent enforcement actions underscore the importance of upholding strict regulatory standards in the gambling industry, both in traditional establishments and online platforms.