NJ Regulator Forces Casinos to Pay Back $77K to Excluded, Underage Gamblers

The issue concerns five Atlantic City casinos and a racetrack which collectively had to repay $77,000 as the individuals placing the wagers that led to the house win were either underage gamblers or people placed on a self-exclusion gambling list.

New Jersey Digs into Gambling-Related Offenses by Operators

Online sportsbook and casino platforms were also named in the latest enforcement round with DraftKings receiving a $7,500 fine over related offenses, and Rush Street Interactive slammed with another $2,000 over accepting wagers on unapproved events.

New Jersey has a list of sports and events it allows gambling companies to accept wagers on, but offering selections on anything outside of those whitelisted sports, and events, triggers regulatory scrutiny and most often – enforcement action.

The latest developments are not to suggest that New Jersey’s gambling establishments have been lowering their standards. Rather, most of the issues were identified and reported by the casinos who found out that underage gamblers had been able to access some of their slot machines or were unable to produce adequate identification.

Despite their being proactive, casinos in Atlantic City are held to a rigorous standard meaning that the onus is on them to stop ineligible gamblers from accessing their products. Some of the cases also concerned people on the self-exclusion list that prohibits players from participating in gambling activities.

No Past Sin Left Unturned

Once again, casinos and gambling establishments are the ones that must ensure compliance even if a gambler has used guile to gain access to the products. So far as winnings forfeiture goes, Resorts had to return $51,000, for cases dating back to 2020. In comparison, the other casinos had minuscule sums to honor. Ocean Casino Resort was the second largest with $7,500, and Harrah’s was the smallest with just $900.

Freehold Raceway had to forfeit $4,400 and Golden Nugget – $4,200. There was also Bally’s which forfeited north of $5,600. Although the reported amounts of the offense are rather small, they may trigger a more serious review and enforcement action, along with fines, if the offenses are repeated.