NJ Regulators Confiscated $90k from a California Gambler

New Jersey state regulators discovered that a certain gambler from California was placing his bets on New Jersey gambling websites, although it is against federal law.

So now, the state will have to confiscate over $90,000 from the online gambling s…

…and it is still unknown how exactly the gambler from 3,000 miles away was able to gain access to those websites.

Hacking the System

Actually, it was revealed that the gambler’s name is Vinh Dao…

…and that he, somehow, managed to hack the system and by NJ online casino operator’s geolocation technology.

His illegal activities were traced back to February 2014, and it was around that time online gambling started in New Jersey. So, now Both Borgata and Caesars Interactive will have to give back the funds to state authorities.

Dao managed to figure out how to by the geolocation controls and place bets, only three months after online gambling was legalized in NJ, despite being in his home in California.

It is interesting that he didn’t use a VPN, which is usually used when someone wants to mask his real location. Dao used more advanced systems that were able to trick geo-detection on online gambling websites.

Where is the Money?

The state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) still hasn’t announced how much of that $90,000 Dao actually held…

…but mentioned that the amount represented “completed gaming transactions theoretically owed [to Dao] by Marina District Development Company [MDDC], Borgata Casino Hotel, and Caesars Interactive Entertainment, New Jersey.”

Marina District Development Company was created by MGM Resorts and Boyd Gaming with the intention to own the Borgata. That ended back in 2016 when MGM bought Boyd’s 50% stake.

Currently, Borgata operates the company’s online gaming operations via its partnership with Party…

…a company that was owned by Bwin, and now is in the ownership of GVC.

The Results

Dao and the two online casinos where he placed his bets were ed by the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. They announced that a total of $92,613.47 was tallied…

…and that Dao will be given $2,500 because he was cooperating with the regulators.

The plan is to divide the rest of the funds to New Jersey’s programs for gambling addiction, as well as to a fund for senior and disabled citizens.

Breaking the Records:

The state of New Jersey has been breaking records in the past few months when it comes to online gambling revenue and in January, the state broke even two records.

DGE revealed official January reports and according to the released numbers, the state’s online gambling operators generated $33.6 million in revenue during the month of January…

…while bookmakers handled $385.3 million worth of wagers.

The Meadowlands racetrack and their partner, FanDuel, definitely broke all records with $7 million in overall betting revenue, while Resorts Digital Gaming and their partner, DraftKings, came in second with $6.9 million. The Monmouth Park racetrack ranked third with $2 million in revenue.

Source:

“New Jersey confiscates $90K from online gambler in California”, Erik Gibbs, calvinayre.com, March 8, 2019.