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Caesars Online Casino has been hit with a lawsuit by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), accusing the platform of offering “misleading and dangerous” bonus promotions to its players.
According to the lawsuit, the core issues revolve around a deposit match offer that claims to provide “100% Deposit Match Up To $2,500.” However, the legal complaint points out that players are not adequately informed about the significant wagering requirements tied to this promotion.
While Caesars advertises the enticing “$2,500 deposit match” to attract new players, the fine print reveals a harsh reality, where players would have to wager $375,000 within the first week after signing up before they can withdraw any winnings.
The PHAI, a non-profit organization founded by Professor Richard Daynard, known for his successful legal battles against the tobacco industry, filed the lawsuit in Philadelphia. The group alleges that both Caesars and its physical partner, Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino, engage in promotional practices that are not only misleading but also pose risks to customers.
Players Would Need to Play 44 Hours a Day to Cash Out Under Certain Conditions
The lawsuit, Brubaker vs. Chester Downs and Marina, LLC et al., filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, argues that Caesars’ promotion misleads players by imposing unrealistic wagering requirements that are nearly impossible to meet within the specified time frame.
The complaint points out that the fine print reveals a staggering 75x wagering requirement for table games, including blackjack. To highlight how impractical these conditions were, PHAI Executive Director Mark Gottlieb and Director of Gambling Policy Dr. Harry Levant conducted calculations.
They found that a player betting $10 per hand would need to engage in nonstop play of two hands per minute for an astonishing 312.5 hours. Given that players have only seven days to fulfill these requirements, this translates to needing to play 44 hours each day, a feat that is clearly impossible.
“It is unconscionable for a gambling company to knowingly require people to gamble excessively and put their mental health at risk as a condition to cash out their winnings,” Dr Levant stated in a release.
“More importantly, nothing in Pennsylvania’s gambling rules or laws permits a casino to refuse payment unless and until customers begin gambling to excess. This is dangerous to Caesars customers, immoral, and just plain wrong.
PGCB’s Role Questioned
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has also come under fire following the recent lawsuit. In a press release announcing the legal action, PHAI executive director Mark Gottlieb criticized the PGCB for allowing such promotions to persist.
“The math alone demonstrates the predatory design of Caesars’ conduct and if the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which has allowed this to go on for years, is incapable of applying the law and protecting the public from Caesars, we at PHAI must turn to the courts to put a stop to this injurious malfeasance,” he stated.
Dr. Harry Levant also shared these concerns, claiming that the PGCB is either complicit in the issue or completely unaware of the impact Caesars’ practices have on players in the state. “The Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board is either complicit in this arrangement or completely unaware of what Caesars is doing to the people of Pennsylvania,” Levant noted.
The PGCB responded to the lawsuit with a brief statement, saying, “We are aware this lawsuit was filed and are reviewing it. As such we don’t have any comment.”
‘Immoral and Plain Wrong’
PHAI is not new to litigation in the gambling sector. The organisation has previously taken on DraftKings in Massachusetts in December 2023 and challenged the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in 2024 for failing to collect required player behavioural data.
The group continues to draw comparisons between gambling and other public health concerns. “The mission of the Public Health Advocacy Institute is to protect public health and advance social justice,” founder Daynard said. “The days of the gambling industry disregarding public health and safety are coming to an end.”
Gottlieb emphasized that Caesars’ tactics reflect a troubling trend in the industry, calling the promotion “among the most egregious we have seen to date.” Dr. Levant concluded that Caesars’ design ensures “regular $10 or even $20 blackjack players can only lose money during the first seven days of gambling,” adding, “This is dangerous to Caesars’ customers, immoral, and just plain wrong.”
Source: Next.io
