New Jersey gaming regulators have slap(shot)ed Caesars with a $500 fine for failing to pay out over $27,000 to a sports bettor who placed a winning wager on an international hockey game last year, the Associated Press reports.
At issue was whether goals scored during an overtime period should be counted when considering an over/under bet. The bettor wagered on over 4.5 goals in a game featuring Vityaz Podolsk and Dinamo Riga of the Europe- and Asia-based Kontinental Hockey League. The game was tied 2-2 after regulation, and the winning goal in overtime cashed the over.
The sportsbook insisted the bet lost, as the winning goal — for the bettor — came in overtime. But the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement disagreed, issuing a ruling on Nov. 10 with scant details about the case, outside of the fine.
The Associated Press requested documents on Nov. 17, and was granted them — minus the name of the bettor — on Nov. 28.
“The patron’s interpretation is correct,” wrote Deputy Attorney General Charles Kimmel in an Oct. 20 letter to Caesars. “Overtime is excluded unless the specific market says otherwise. This market unambiguously stated that overtime and shootout goals would count.”
Caesars could have been fined up to $2,000 for the infraction.
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