Amaya fined for geolocation failure in New Jersey
PokerStars owner Amaya has been fined in New Jersey after it allowed wagers from out-of-state players.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) said a “flaw” in geolocation software-enabled patrons outside the state to gamble at PokerStarsNJ.com, in violation of the DGE’s strict intrastate gambling rules.
The regulator fined Amaya $25,000 (€23,500) in a decision taken on January 20, but only revealed this week.
The NJDGE said its investigation had revealed that “a limited number” of out-of-state gamblers were able to wager “for a short period of time before a subsequent geolocation check detected such patrons and blocked them”.
The NJDGE added that PokerStars has since deployed an update to its software to remedy the flaw.
The DGE said it found “sufficient legal and factual support” to justify the imposition of a $25k fine on Amaya US Services Ltd., which executed a stipulation of settlement with the DGE.
Last June, gaming technology supplier GAN was fined the same amount in New Jersey for having “inadvertently activated software” that allowed six out-of-state gamblers to wager via Betfair Interactive.
Related article: New Jersey reveals record online gaming revenue in December