Published on: December 9, 2024, at 02:42h.
Last updated on: December 9, 2024, at 02:55h.
New Jersey gaming regulators have imposed a fine on a sportsbook that has since been terminated for accepting bets on sporting events that had already ended.
In an order made public recently, dated November 19 and signed by New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) Interim Director Mary Jo Flaherty, the William Hill Sportsbook was fined $20,000 for its failure to comply with regulations. The settlement agreement covers the period from February 2022 to April 2023, during which William Hill allowed bets on sporting events with known outcomes.
William Hill operated sportsbooks at multiple Atlantic City casinos, including Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana. William Hill also previously managed a sportsbook at Ocean.
The settlement with the DGE pertains to 42 in-person bets made at William Hill’s self-service sportsbook kiosks on February 23 and 24, 2022. These erroneous bets involved 12 college basketball games, where patrons were allowed to continue betting even after the games had concluded.
Third-Party Responsibility
In the settlement, William Hill admitted to paying out over $5,000 in supposed winnings on the college basketball games before realizing the error. The remaining bets were voided, and customers received refunds on their original wagers. William Hill attributed the error to its third-party book supplier, OpenBet. In June 2022, William Hill also accepted bets on two boxing matches with predetermined outcomes.
After reviewing the actions taken by William Hill to address these violations and considering the terms of the settlement agreement, I hereby approve the adoption of the settlement,” Flaherty stated.
The $20,000 fine will go to the DGE’s Revenue Unit. The sportsbooks at Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana, previously under William Hill, have been rebranded as Caesars Sportsbook. Ocean ended its partnership with Caesars for sports betting following the sale of a 50% stake in the property to Ilitch Holdings, the parent company of Little Caesars and MotorCity Casino in Detroit. Fanatics now operates Ocean’s sportsbook.
Similar Penalty
PlayUp had its sports wagering license revoked by the DGE in the summer of 2023 due to the online sportsbook’s failure to meet payroll obligations. PlayUp did not respond to the DGE’s requests for financial information, leading to the license revocation.
In a separate order, the DGE reached a $10,000 settlement with PlayUp’s sports betting provider, Amelco, to address regulatory violations. The DGE found that Amelco and its operational partner, Sportradar, allowed a bet on the 2024 presidential election, which is not permitted by licensed sportsbooks in the U.S. The bet, a $1 wager on Pete Buttigieg becoming the 47th president, was later voided and refunded.
Additionally, PlayUp accepted bets on Seton Hall University basketball games, violating New Jersey’s sports betting law prohibiting bets on in-state college teams.