Casinos in Atlantic City could have more to worry about than falling revenues, as there are reports that there will be a number of forfeiture orders brought against four reputable names in the land-based casino game.
Bloomberg Business Week reports that New Jersey’s state Gaming Enforcement Division will soon approve forfeiture orders against Caesars, the Borgata, the Taj Mahal and Resorts. The amount being sought is as much as $12,200 that was won from people who weren’t legally allowed to gamble in the casinos.
That meant people under the age of 21 were on the premises gambling or that those who lost the money were compulsive gamblers who had signed up to a self-exclusion list. The thing about both of these groups is that the casinos involved could have easily prevented it from happening.
Simply card all those who look under the age of say 30 and those on the list should be identified with a photo and it wouldn’t happen. Obviously it’s very easy to say that in hindsight but it wouldn’t be that hard to the police.
It will be another blow for Atlantic City’s casino industry as it continues to stumble around as if the drunken uncle who you never invited out to family functions after that incident back in ’95 with the goldfish bowl. Those in the land-based casino industries will continue to wait and see if a bill to allow sports betting gets passed but save that they haven’t got a massive amount to smile about.
As for the money, half will go to the state’s Casino Revenue Fund with the other going towards programs to treat and prevent compulsive gambling.
