Regulatory Body in Ohio Levies $150K Penalty against Caesars for Gambling Missteps
Unleashing the Fine Hammer: Caesars Slapped with $150K Penalty for Ad Violations
Let's cut to the chase. Early this month, the Ohio gambling watchdog, OCCC, was none too pleased with three major gambling operators, including Caesars, DraftKings, and BetMGM. The reason? You guessed it—advertising shenanigans. Specifically, their ads lacked the required problem gambling message while promoting so-called "free" bets.
That's where things got interesting. Recently, ABC6 dropped a bomb: following a meeting on Wednesday, OCCC slapped Caesars with a whopping $150,000 fine. According to the regulatory body, Caesars didn't play by the rules, promoting "free" bets, which is a definite no-no in Ohio's gambling scene.
The OCCC's stance is clear as day: regulations forbid the promotion of "risk-free bets" or "free" bets since customers must first lose their own dough to get that sweet incentive. On top of that, the operator's marketing materials were missing a message aimed at preventing compulsive gambling, like details for an approved help hotline.
Caesars' top brass, Eric Hession (President of Caesars Digital) and Jeff Hendricks (Senior Vice President of Regulatory Compliance), showed up for the meeting. Hendricks admitted that the company has established a system to approve all advertising materials for Caesars Sportsbook. However, in this particular case, their affiliate managed to slip through the cracks, leading to the termination of their agreement.
Hendricks kept the affiliate's identity under wraps, but he did say if their affiliate had followed Caesars' regulations, their ads would've been good to go. Hendricks emphasized Caesars' commitment to 100% compliance in Ohio saying, "We pulled out all the stops to make sure this was a top priority."
This meeting and fine against Caesars come after some Ohio stakeholders expressed outrage over breaches in gambling ad rules. A spokesperson for the Commission, Jessica Franks, recently spoke to NBC4 and wasn't impressed. She called out operators for covertly advertising gambling to underage individuals, which is a definite no-no in Ohio. Franks also took aim at operators agreeing to regulations but then flouting them, stating their actions didn't live up to their words.
Interestingly, efforts are underway in Ohio to tighten advertising rules. A new bill proposed by Sen. Nathan Manning aims to ban the word "free" in iGaming ads that aren't genuinely free for users. The bill also prohibits iGaming ads on college campuses, showing a focus on responsible advertising practices. However, specific details about current advertising rules or fines against operators like Caesars aren't mentioned in the search results. Nonetheless, Ohio's gambling regulations are known for being robust, with gambling being illegal unless it's explicitly allowed by law. This legal framework likely influences the advertising rules but provides few details about the current framework or fines against operators like Caesars.
The fine imposed on Caesars suggests a growing focus on regulatory compliance in the gambling industry, such as the sportsbook, casino-and-gambling, and casino-games sectors. The incident highlights the importance of adhering to gambling-trends and casino-culture guidelines, particularly in Chelsea's Ohio market where breaches can lead to significant penalties.
