Online poker cardroom PokerStars has paid a fine of $10,000 for breaking New Jersey’s gambling laws, reported the state of Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).
In an order dated April 12, the director of DGE David L. Rebuck imposed $10,000 civil penalties on PokerStars for accepting wagers on two prohibited sporting events, including a college basketball game between Eastern Michigan University and Rutgers University Scarlett Knights.
The document released by DGE indicates that the company violated New Jersey betting law by giving assent to over 216 bets for a total of more than $2,700.
It is also reported that PokerStars accepted a single wager on another prohibited event; this time it was a basketball game between Monmouth University Hawks and University of Pennsylvania Quakers. The complaint was filed on or about January 30, 2019.
The company acknowledged that the bets did offend against the law, and agreed to pay the penalty imposed.
All bets were voided before the sports games began, and the money was given back to the bettors.
This was not the first time in PokerStars history when the company had been subject to fines. In July 2012, the online poker cardroom was prosecuted by the U.S. government for the use of fraudulent methods of payment processing and dodging of restrictions on online gambling. As part of the settlement, PokerStars agreed to pay out $547 million over three years.
On Monday, The Washington Post said that Pokerstars had not commented on the incident.