The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has directed online gambling company bet365 to reimburse over $519,000 to 199 customers for shortchanging them on payouts after unilaterally altering odds. The British company adjusted the odds without seeking approval from regulators, citing an “obvious error” as the reason for the changes.
Acting Director of the enforcement division, Mary Jo Flaherty, criticized bet365’s actions as unacceptable and emphasized the need for companies to obtain approval before voiding or changing payouts. She stated that such violations cannot be tolerated in New Jersey’s gaming regulatory system.
Instances of odds manipulation by bet365 occurred between 2020 and 2023, affecting various events from sports like NFL and college basketball to table tennis matches and the Masters golf tournament. Customers who had placed bets based on specific odds were paid out based on less favorable calculations without their consent.
Bet365 refrained from contesting the order and chose not to issue a statement on the matter. The company has been instructed to provide a detailed report outlining measures to rectify internal software failures, human errors, and ensure data accuracy to prevent similar incidents in the future. Flaherty highlighted these shortcomings as concerning indicators of bet365’s online gambling practices and operational reliability.
