Caesars Running Afoul of DGE in NJ As AGA Continues It's 'Look at That Birdie Over There' Routine

American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller called them “a scourge on our society".

His reference was to offshore sportsbooks - you know the one's - operating for the better part of two decades now, some longer, many of which are licensed in jurisdictions outside the U.S. 

The same companies that pretty much have paid out billions at this point with maybe a handful of complaints lodged against them over that extensive time frame.  

The same industry once lauded by a handful of affiliate websites that they've paid out millions of dollars to over the years (ahem SBR) and, well, now suddenly, THEY BAD.

Did we mention how offshore sportsbooks were behind the lobbying effort to get the activity legalized in the U.S.?

Those guys.

Miller was not referring to U.S. regulated sports betting companies.  We know they are as pure as the winter's snow.

Well, maybe not so much after all.

One of these U.S. regulated companies is coming dangerously close to running afoul of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).

Caesars continues to accrue fines to the tune of $96,000 since July of this year, and the DGE is warning of more severe consequences should the company fail to take the proper corrective measures.

Last month, Caesars was fined $46,000 by the DGE for having 46 employees working at three different properties in Atlantic City “without such employees holding the requisite casino employee registrations."

Caesars agreed to pay in July for allegedly having 49 unregistered staff.

And just last week the company was fined for declining to pay out on a hockey bet.

State regulators found the company was wrong to refuse a payout over $27,000 to a gambler who made winning bets on an international hockey game.

From the Associated Press:

The dispute involved whether goals scored in overtime should count in determining whether bets are winners or losers. It’s the same type of pitfall many soccer bettors may soon face during soccer’s World Cup tournament, where bets are usually graded based on what happens during regular time.

The state Division of Gambling Enforcement fined Caesars $500 for wrongly insisting that the man’s hockey bets were losers.

This comes on the heels of a hacking incident at DraftKings last month.

DraftKing confirmed that approximately $300,000 had been withdrawn from some customer accounts without authorization.

Customers, many of whom were locked out of their wagering accounts, took to Twitter expressing how difficult it was to find any DraftKings customer service during the hacking period.  Links and numbers to customer assistance on the website also appeared to be in disarray, some broken while others redirected to dead pages. 

Those claiming responsibility for the breach also took to Twitter to mock the matter, thanking DraftKings customers for the "free money".

As of December 8, still crickets in regard to a disastrous PR stunt by PointsBet whereby a viral video showed former New Orleans Saints quarterback-turned NFL commentator being struck by lightning.  Adoring fans and, presumably some family members and friends, were left horrified by the incident.   PointsBet laughed it all off hours later.  Not funny. And we here at Gambling911.com are hardly prudes when it comes to creative marketing.

By late Friday morning, the gambling company “had Brees tell viewers in a clip he is fine while promoting the company’s lightning bets promotional deal.”

Who knows how many of Brees loved one's had their hearts jump out of their chests in the meantime.

Rafael Canton of ADWEEK condemned PointsBet.

The "lesser known betting platform is trying to find ways to draw in new consumers," Canton suggests.

As if FanDuel's social media campaign showing a battered female didn't already have enough shock value.

Where this all goes is anyone's guess.

The hockey bet dispute was allowed to fester for an entire year.  It involved a Dec. 22, 2021 game.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com