The Ohio Casino Control Board issued a $150,000 penalty to Caesars Entertainment. This marks the initial significant decision since sports wagering became permissible in Ohio on January 1st, 2023. The Board reached a unanimous decision on the sanction, primarily due to Caesars’ utilization of the phrase “complimentary wagers” in their marketing materials. This particular wording is prohibited in Ohio regarding sports betting promotions. Additionally, Caesars faced criticism for failing to prominently display information about seeking assistance for gambling-related issues within their advertisements.

It is important to acknowledge that Caesars received some recognition for promptly addressing the concerns. The Commission Chair, June Taylor, went so far as to describe their response as a “compliance exemplar.” Executive Director Matt Schuler further commented that if other organizations emulated Caesars’ swift and comprehensive approach, the Commission could likely avert 90-95% of similar circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Commission emphasized the gravity of the infractions, noting their persistence despite prior cautions. Jessica Franks, the OCCC’s Communications Director, stated directly, “We endeavored to guide them toward compliance, but our efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, we are compelled to impose these financial penalties.”

Therefore, while Caesars deserves credit for taking responsibility, the message is unambiguous: Ohio is resolute in its regulation of sports betting advertising practices.

At the Wednesday hearing concerning Caesars Entertainment’s promotional infractions, legal representation for Caesars opted to forgo contesting the allegations. They highlighted that the problematic advertisements were, in actuality, disseminated by an independent marketing firm contracted by Caesars, not by Caesars directly. Caesars has subsequently terminated their collaboration with this firm. Despite Caesars not being directly culpable, their CFO, Eric Hession, nonetheless expressed remorse to the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) for the transgressions. He outlined the measures Caesars is implementing to guarantee the prevention of similar occurrences in the future, stating, “We are enacting proactive steps to assure this does not transpire again.” The financial penalty Caesars is obligated to remit will be allocated to the Ohio Sports Gaming Revenue Fund, which principally supports K-12 education, athletics, and extracurricular activities. It’s noteworthy that the OCCC is concurrently investigating analogous potential breaches by DraftKings and BetMGM, both managed by Penn Interactive.