- Caesars Palace Online Casino is facing a deceptive advertising lawsuit
- A public health advocacy alleges the iGaming platform’s promotion misleads consumers
- Sign-up bonuses and other incentives are common in the online gaming industry
The Caesars Palace Online Casino platform has been named in a lawsuit alleging that its latest promotion misleads consumers.
On Friday, the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) told Casino.org that it has filed a complaint against Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Caesars Entertainment — the online gaming unit’s parent — and the Caesars Palace Online Casino’s brick-and-mortar partner in Pennsylvania, Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack, in Philadelphia’s First Judicial District.
In its complaint, PHAI attorneys allege that the Caesars Palace Online Casino promo advertising a “100% Deposit Match Up To $2,500” is dishonest. The public health advocacy suggests that for a player to take advantage of the $2,500 in free funds, they would need to gamble excessively in their first seven days of playing the online casino.
Caesars and its partners are luring new customers with a false and misleading promise of a ‘$2,500 deposit match.’ Only in the small-print terms and conditions is it disclosed that a new customer playing blackjack is required to gamble and risk $375,000 in just the first seven days after opening an account. In other words, no money or winnings can be withdrawn unless a total of $375,000 is gambled and risked. All money lost during the first seven-day period is kept by Caesars,” a release on the lawsuit explained.
Boston-based PHAI is a nonprofit legal research center that “uses the civil justice system to improve public health.” The organization is focused on the tobacco, unhealthy foods, and gambling industries.
Caesars Terms
Casino.org reviewed the promotional details of the Caesars Palace Online Casino signup offer. The fine print explains that to receive the full deposit match, a player must satisfy a minimum “wagering requirement.”
The wagering requirement is 15x on slots, 30x on video poker, and 75x “for all other casino games.” The multiplier is based on the deposit and bonus match, meaning if a player deposits $1,000, they’d need to bet $30,000 on slots to receive their $1,000 bonus ($2,000 x 15). For blackjack, the 75x threshold on a $2,500 bonus brings the total amount needed to bet to $375,000 to receive the $2,500 in free money. On slots, the amount needed to bet for a $2,500 deposit and match would be $75,000.
“If you do not meet the minimum wagering requirement for the Registration Casino Bonus within 7 days, the bonus will be forfeited. No partial bonuses will be awarded,” the terms explain.
PHAI Executive Director Mark Gottlieb said the Caesars online casino promotion “is among the most egregious we have seen.”
“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. 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 Caesar’s customers, immoral, and just plain wrong,” added Dr. Harry Levant, PHAI’s director of gambling policy.
Pennsylvania iGaming
Online casino gambling in Pennsylvania continues to make revenue gains. Last year, players lost more than $2.18 billion gambling on online slots and table games. That’s almost double the approximately $1.11 billion that online players lost in 2021.
Opponents of iGaming, such as the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG), say online casino gambling lacks effective safeguards to prevent underage gambling, limit excessive play, and address problem gambling.
The Caesars Palace Online Casino promo in Pennsylvania now reads that players can receive a “100% Deposit Match Up To $1,000.”
In addition to Pennsylvania, the Caesars Palace Online Casino operates in Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Ontario.
The post Caesars Palace Online Casino Promo Faces Lawsuit, Complaint Contends Blackjack Players Must Bet $375,000 appeared first on Casino.org.
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