“Patrons who request withdrawals have the right to receive their funds as expeditiously as possible,” wrote DGE director David Rebuck. “Operators should clearly understand that the Division will take regulatory action and impose civil penalties whenever patrons are improperly encouraged or incentivized to rescind their withdrawal requests for the purpose of resuming gaming activity.”
Rebuck did not specify which sportsbooks were involved. He wrote that sportsbook patrons who submitted a withdrawal request were contacted from providers “encouraging or enticing them to reverse the withdrawal request and wager the funds. It has been reported by some patrons that they were even offered bonus money to reverse a pending withdrawal request.”
New Jersey bettors who request withdrawals are supposed to be provided an expedited process, as is the case in all regulated markets.
The Associated Press reports that predatory gambling activists criticized the New Jersey attorney general’s office for being too lenient on how they treat sportsbooks.
Rebuck has served as DGE director since 2012 and is credited with helping develop the state’s massive online gaming market.
Online wagers accounted for more than 90% of New Jersey’s $996m in sports betting handle last month.