Five New Jersey casinos, along with a horseracing track have forfeited more than $77,000 previously earned from underage gamblers or self-excluded players, the Associated Press reported.
All five casinos were in Atlantic City, which included Ocean Casino Resort, Bally’s, Freehold Raceway, the Golden Nugget and Harrah’s. Ocean Casino Resort turned over $7,500, Bally’s $5,600, Freehold Raceway $4,400, the Golden Nugget $4,200 and Harrah’s close to $900.
The state will use the forfeited funds for compulsive gambling treatment programs, to provide aid to senior citizens and people with disabilities.
The cases referenced involved players claiming slot machine manual payouts. Patrons were asked to provide their information, which revealed that some of them were underage. Others did not produce adequate ID, according to the Associated Press report.
As a result, the casinos in question withheld the winnings and kept them in an escrow account until players could show proof they had legally gambled. Players had six months to show valid proof.
The state Division of Gaming Enforcement said the time limit “has now expired and the gamblers are considered to be prohibited patrons.”
Along with the Atlantic City locations, the state’s regulators issued a fine to DraftKings. The online sportsbook and casino platform was fined $7,500 for “similar violations.”
RSI also received a $2,000 fine for “taking bets on unapproved events and taking pre-match bets on games that had already begun.”
In other state news, Stockton University recently unveiled a program exploring casino operations and one to set up the first esports degree pathway.
The program will start 16 January and will be taught by a team comprised of 12 local industry experts. The course will be available on Tuesdays for eight consecutive weeks and will cover “the full gamut of casino resort operations – from gaming and surveillance to food and beverage to meetings and conventions – with participants getting a taste of all departments.”
