BetMGM and Entain are facing legal action from a New York problem gambler who has accused the online gambling company of bribing him with free bets so he wouldn’t report technical glitches to local regulators.
Glitches saw games disconnect when player had potentially good hands
The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in the New Jersey Supreme Court, alleges that Sam A. Antar found technical glitches in BetMGM’s online blackjack and other games that prevented him from completing a game when he had a favorable hand. The lawsuit claims that the games in question would disconnect and any potential winnings were instantly wiped out.
He also alleges that, at times, his winnings were unavailable to him unless he made a further deposit into his account. This in turn fueled his gambling addiction. The lawsuit reveals that Antar’s betting activity included over $29 million in wagers over a period of just nine months.
No plan to fix games as they were ‘moneymakers’
According to the lawsuit, Antar reported the problems with the online casino games to BetMGM’s account managers and corporate executives and was given free credits to place wagers. He was allegedly told that the company was compiling similar complaints from other customers. In a recorded conversation, one manager told Antar that the company would not be taking down the games in question because they were ‘moneymakers’.
In his lawsuit, Antar accuses BetMGM and online gambling partner Entain of consumer fraud, gross negligence, and racketeering. These accusations are based on the fact that while gambling online in New Jersey, Antar experienced thousands of disconnections every 15 to 30 minutes often when he has a good hand. He also made over 100,000 wagers online between May 2019 and January 2020 displaying clear indicators of problem gambling, yet was still presented with free bet credits as an answer to his issues. He stated that BetMGM and Entain failed to fix the glitches or contact him about his unusual betting activity and at one point had awarded him $30,000 in free bets in a single month.
Antar has a history of problem gambling and pled guilty on a charge of defrauding family and friends through an investment scheme which fueled his gambling addiction. He also spent 21 months in prison in 2103/14 for a similar crime.
Entain was recently handed a record fine by the UK Gambling Commission for social responsibility and AML failings while it also faces similar legal action in the UK over failing to protect a problem gambler.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.