Ohio has enacted its first legal enforcement action on the sports betting sector since the practice was legalized on January 1. A $150,000 fine was levied on Caesars Sportsbook by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC).
Caesars used free bets as part of its advertising, which is specifically banned by the OCCC. It also failed to include a visible responsible gaming notice in the advert in question. Ohio requires that sports betting ads include a notice of how problem gamblers may seek help.
The hefty fine was issued despite Commission Chair June Taylor and Executive Director Matt Schuler commending Caesars for quickly remedying the mistake. Taylor described Caesars' reaction as a ‘model for compliance.’
Schuler noted that ‘90-95%’ of all gambling companies' problems with the OCCC would disappear so long as they reacted as quickly and comprehensively as Caesars did.
Still, the violation was ruled as being severe and the advert in question had invoked prior warnings. This necessitated the need for financial punishment.
OCCC Director of Communications Jessica Franks commented: “Despite repeated attempts to gain compliance, we weren’t able to. That’s when we need to see these financial sanctions issued. But, as was noted today, we do appreciate the work that Caesars has done in going well above what the commission was asking in addressing this issue."
Two of the operator’s officials appeared before the commission, with assistant legal counsel Jeffrey Hendricks. They assured members that Caesars took “responsible gaming and our regulatory compliance functions incredibly seriously."
The $150,000 in fine money will go towards the state Sports Gaming Revenue Fund, which is primarily used for K-12 education, sports and extracurricular activities.
