Iowa Regulator Slapped Local Operators with Fines over Various Violations

Two casinos in Iowa have been fined by the local regulator for breaching the state’s gambling regulations. The properties in question are Diamond Jo Worth Casino and Horseshoe Casino, Radio Iowa, a local news outlet, reported.

The first of the two properties, as noted by Brian Ohorilko, administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, was fined for allowing an underage player to gamble. The player remained unchallenged and played for two hours and a half, Ohorilko said.

The breach dates to May 2022 and was due to the security workers failing to request ID. Because of its incompliance, Diamond Jo Worth was forced to pay a fine of $20,000. This is the fine the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission typically hands when casinos breach this rule for the first time.

The second breach came from Horseshoe Casino which failed to properly help a person exclude themselves from gambling. The person came to the casino and played for some time before asking a security officer about self-exclusion schemes. Unfortunately, the casino did not have anyone to help the customer enroll in the statewide self-exclusion program at the time.

While the casino did what it could and redirected the player to another casino where they successfully excluded themselves, in doing so, it breached the local regulations. Since Horseshoe Casino was unable to help its player, it received a fine of $20,000. As per Iowan rules, each casino should have someone who can enroll a customer at their request.

An Online Sportsbook Was also Fined

The two casinos were not the only gambling entities that received a fine. The local gambling authority also slapped the online sportsbook Rush Street Interactive with a similar fine. According to the regulator, the sports betting brand allowed people to charge their accounts using their credit cards – something that is strictly forbidden in the state.

It was noted that the operator had accepted as many as 42 credit card transactions. In total, customers collectively added almost $10,000 into their accounts using credit cards. As a result of its violation, Rush Street Interactive had to pay a fine of $20,000.

While the problem here was due to the payments company working with Rush Street Interactive, the operator should have been more careful when implementing its payment solutions. Ohorilko noted that the payment provider’s other partners have also been fined for similar violations.