Station Casinos Illegally Accepted Nearly 350 Sports Bets, According To Complaint

Written By Marc Meltzer on September 24, 2021
Complaint Station Casinos Illegal Sports Bets

On Sept. 13, 2021, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) lodged a complaint against Station Casinos for accepting illegal bets.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has lodged accusations against Red Rock Casinos, also known as Station Casinos, of accepting about 350 bets over a period close to three years on events where the results were already known to customers. The NGCB complaint specifies that 348 illicit bets were placed between May 31, 2018, and May 19, 2021.

According to the board, Station Casinos accepted funds for inappropriate bets in June 2018, January 2019, and March 2019.

Around June 1, 2018, the sportsbook took in 35 bets on five events after they had already concluded. Subsequently, close to Jan. 9, 2019, another 116 bets were accepted for events whose outcomes were already decided. Finally, near March 7, 2019, Station Casinos took in an additional 30 bets on three events after they had ended.

Station Casinos received this complaint following numerous warning letters from the NCGB. The gaming commission has yet to determine a fine or other disciplinary measures for this complaint. The repercussions for this issue could range from a monetary penalty to something as severe as suspending or revoking Station Casinos’ gaming license.

Station Casinos accepted sports bets due to computer errors

Improper bets were made over a span of three years. It seems that computer glitches within the Stadium Live software were consistently to blame. This software is employed in the casino sportsbooks and the STN Sports mobile application.

The complaint by the NGCB states that Station Casinos was fully cognizant of previous computer glitches connected to the Stadium Live program. The casino operator attributes the numerous system errors to a lack of adequate server memory. Remarkably, these issues recurred consistently over a span of three years, including the current year.

Station Casinos reported a Stadium Live software glitch on March 18 of this year, which led to the sportsbook operator accepting approximately 167 incorrect bets. The company acted promptly, refunding and nullifying these bets.

The complaint from NGCB suggests that a Station Casinos employee stated the computer errors “could have been completely prevented.”

The complaint from the NGCB asserts that “consistent infringements may result in license revocation or other punitive measures.” The decision on the penalty will be determined by the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC).

A precedent set by CG Technology?

A major sportsbook error of this magnitude hasn’t triggered a complaint for several years. Back in 2018, CG Technology, which was acquired by William Hill and is currently under the ownership of Caesars, was penalized with a substantial fine of $2 million for infractions committed in 2016 and 2017.

CG Technology was penalized with a $1.75 million fine and was also required to contribute $250,000 to the Nevada Council on Problem Gaming. The punishment was not only for accepting bets after the events had occurred but also for another violation. They were fined again after accepting bets from out-of-state and making erroneous payments to bettors.

Before 2018, CG Technology had been fined twice. In 2014, when it was known as Cantor Gaming, it paid $5.5 million in fines for several offenses, one of which included employing an individual involved in a nationwide illegal betting scheme.

Station Casinos may face a similar penalty to the one the company received in 2016 for technology issues, as the NGC could see this as a fitting punishment.

The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) has not yet scheduled a date to hear the perspective of Staton Casinos. Keep following for updates.