NJ Fines Evolution $12,000 for Dealer and Game Errors
Introduction
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement has imposed a $12,000 fine on Evolution, a provider of Business-to-Business online casino solutions, due to a series of dealer and game-related errors occurring within its live dealer studios.
Details of the Dealer and Game Errors
Interim director Mary Jo Flaherty described these errors as “impermissible” in an official letter, attributing the violations to failures by Evolution’s dealers and management in properly conducting table games.
The first error happened on June 15, 2021, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. A blackjack dealer dealt cards to players but forgot to deal a card to himself. To correct the mistake, the staff tried to put the cards back into the deck, contrary to state rules that mandated only drawing an additional card. The dealer received written discipline for this mistake.
On January 6, 2023, the same studio reported a blackjack mistake where a virtual table displayed inaccurate dealer instructions. The instructions incorrectly stated that the dealer must stand on 17 and draw on 16, whereas the correct rule requires hitting on a soft 17. This printing error went unnoticed for 26 hours, during which the dealer played incorrectly, but no formal disciplinary action was taken.
A few months later, roulette dealers at Hard Rock had to re-spin the ball multiple times because it did not complete the minimum four revolutions around the wheel. Five dealers later admitted that they were unaware of this rule.
On September 19, 2023, at Evolution’s Ocean Casino Resort studio, dealers inadvertently used two incomplete decks missing a total of five cards. The issue persisted through more than 16 hours and 438 rounds of blackjack before it was detected. Despite these incidents, neither the roulette dealers at Hard Rock nor the blackjack dealers at Ocean Casino received any penalties.
Confiscation of Winnings and Allocation of Funds
In addition to the fine, the Division of Gaming Enforcement announced that $186,184 in winnings had been confiscated from players who were underage (under 21) or on self-exclusion lists.
By law, part of these funds will support compulsive gambling treatment and prevention programs, while the remainder will be allocated to New Jersey’s Casino Revenue Fund. This fund aids seniors and people with disabilities through support services such as hearing aid assistance, community care, personal assistance, homemaker services, transportation, vocational rehabilitation, and pharmaceutical assistance.
Moreover, a proposal set for November 2024 aims to seize money from inactive online gambling accounts. These unclaimed funds would benefit the state’s unclaimed property program after a designated period has passed.
