What Did Caesars Sportsbook Do to Justify a $251K Fine in New Jersey?

Caesars Sportsbook was fined more than $251K and ordered to forfeit $45K in profits by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) earlier this month. The state has detailed what led to the unprecedented fine, the largest that Casino.org has ever reported on in the Garden State.

Documents made public by DGE Interim Director Mary Jo Flaherty revealed that Caesars Sportsbook was issued a civil penalty in the amount of $251,250 and an additional disgorgement of $45,465.38. The fine and assessment were ordered on Aug. 5, 2026.

Flaherty said the punitive action was related to “responsible gaming matters concerning non-compliance.” The DGE interim director cited several provisions of the New Jersey Administrative Code that set regulatory laws for the DGE’s enforcement of responsible gaming.

Unprecedented Fine

Caesars Sportsbook operates in New Jersey through a partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment New Jersey, LLC (CIENJ). The company was founded in March 2013 to operate online real money iGaming and mobile sports betting on behalf of Caesars Entertainment’s three Atlantic City casinos: Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana.

The statutory code Flaherty cited suggests that Caesars Sportsbook failed to uphold regulations dealing with self-excluded persons. N.J.A.C. 13:69G-2.2, 2.3, and 2.4 require online sportsbooks to bar individuals who register for self-exclusion with the state. The DGE self-exclusion program allows enrollees to self-exclude for a year, two years, five years, or permanently.  

Flaherty’s order also cited N.J.A.C. 13:69C-14.2(b) and (c), which require gaming operators to include responsible gaming messaging in all of their advertising and communications. However, the more than a quarter-million-dollar fine likely has more to do with Caesars Sportsbook allowing self-excluded individuals access to the online sportsbook than with marketing and fine-print mishaps.

The largest regulatory fine issued by the DGE that Casino.org had covered came in 2022, when DraftKings settled a proxy betting dispute with the New Jersey regulator for $150,000. In that case, a Florida high roller made bets through a friend who lived in New Jersey. Proxy betting, or the facilitation of betting on behalf of another person, is prohibited in the state.

Caesars Sportsbook Revenue

Through seven months, Caesars Sportsbook reported 2026 gross sports betting revenue of $15.3 million. That’s down 7% from the prior year, and ranks sixth in the state behind FanDuel ($239.5 million), DraftKings ($157 million), BetFanatics ($51.5 million), BetMGM ($49.2 million), and bet365 ($47.6 million).

Caesars Sportsbook’s CIENJ partnership is tethered to Tropicana. Caesars Sportsbook shares part of its online revenue with the Boardwalk casino, though specifics of the arrangement are not made public.