It caught my attention last summer when I was reading up on news to see what was happening in the space we write about for you every day. DraftKings settled with the state of Connecticut over a complaint about how they marketed certain bonuses. As a former Connecticut resident who played DraftKings in the date window impacted, I wondered if that meant something for me.
The settlement surrounded the terms around deposit match and deposit bonus requirements. While DraftKings did not admit liability, the settlement terms saw them agree to return the money deposited under those promotions to 7,000 players.
As I’ve written here in the past, I like bonus offers that give players an extra boost, such as a deposit match or bonus, over ones that require you to lose, like a lossback offer. So I knew I had taken advantage of those offers. I’m sure I also didn’t lose all my money clearing those bonuses. So to potentially be getting my original money returned on top of it was a bit wild.
The settlement was to be resolved within 60 days of the agreement. 60 days to the day of signature, a $1,250 balance was added to my account.
We often get questions – lots of questions – about whether online casinos can be trusted. Certainly the trust level will differ based on who’s offering it and where. When it comes to the casinos (and sportsbooks, for that matter) legalized in states that allow online casinos and/or sportsbooks, the regulations of them are very detailed and rigid.
Part of the settlement document went through all of the various things that are allowed and not in terms of the idea of “free” bets and “bonuses,” for instance. Connecticut is not the first state to pursue the legalized casinos when the rules aren’t followed to get players made whole.
Also in Connecticut, when a slot machine was released to the market where a slot simply wasn’t paying out despite tens of thousands of spins taken, regulators were involved in the conversation within days, and all players who spun on the slot were ultimately refunded their wagers for the window of time impacted.
The fact that all players playing online must be known and registered before getting started making bets allows for remedies that might not always be possible in the physical world, where some play without players cards.
Companies that operate across state lines have gotten in trouble for accepting deposit types that are legal in one state but not in another, and letting players bet with those balances in the states that wouldn’t have allowed it as a deposit (such as using a credit card; more on that soon). No two states’ rules are identical, and it’s a careful maze to navigate to stay in compliance across the board.
Of course, that doesn’t mean every online offering works this way. This is particularly the case for the more than 40 states that still don’t have state-affirmed online casino options, and for the remaining states that haven’t opened the doors to sports betting.
This is why we always recommend playing on sites that are legal where you’re located. It can offer piece of mind, ensure an avenue to submit a complaint to an entity that can investigate on your behalf, and lead to scenarios like mine where I received a refund when an issue is found or a settlement is reached.
We hear from players all the time who presume casinos would rather pay fines than follow the rules, but under these regulations casinos wouldn’t be allowed to stay in business if they weren’t making a good faith effort to follow the rules.
That doesn’t mean issues aren’t found (or potentially found – sometimes the casinos will disagree with the findings), and enforcement actions don’t lead to fines or settlements to resolve issues. It just means casinos wish to resolve an issue and move on by paying the fines or agreeing to a settlement.
But the issuance of fines or the agreement to settlements don’t necessarily mean casinos are intentionally out to ignore and violate regulations either. The situation I encountered is one that can be helpful for peace of mind that someone’s minding the store, even if at the time I didn’t encounter any issue when accepting those offers.
