NY Resident Files Lawsuit against Caesars over Risk-Free Bets
The Class Action Complaint claims that false advertising helps lure customers that are risking their money
Many online gambling and sportsbook operators offer lucrative sign-up offers, including “risk-free bets” and “free” bets. While US lawmakers are looking into the promotional advertising wording for sportsbooks trying to remove the “risk-free” verbiage from their promotional inducements, one New York resident decided not to wait and has taken action.
Lachae Vickers is a resident of New York that filed a class-action lawsuit against the gaming and entertainment giant, Caesars Entertainment, doing business as Caesars Sportsbook in the state. In her lawsuit, she claimed that Caesars Sportsbook lured her with a misleading “risk-free” offer that in fact resulted in losses for her.
Misleading Advertising
Filed late in February, the lawsuit explains that Vickers signed up with the sportsbook for “free” or “risk-free” bets. However, the plaintiff explains that the bets actually cost her money. Vickers’ alleged she “should not be responsible for monetary losses incurred because of bets that were promised to be “risk-free” and “free.”
“Those advertisements contain materially deceptive representations while omitting any warnings regarding the acute and immediate risk that an initial bet is not without risk and not, in fact, “free.” Those representations and omissions, which Plaintiff relied upon, are false and misleading.“
reads the Class Action Lawsuit filed by Lachae Vickers
Overall, Vickers deposited and wagered some $125. When she lost the money, she claimed she was not reimbursed but instead Caesars loaded the same amount as credits for her. The plaintiff was given two weeks to use those credits and when she did, she was left at a loss. Therefore, Vickers explained, her initial bet wasn’t “free” or “risk-free.”
In her lawsuit, she outlined that if she had known this from the start, she wouldn’t have signed up with Caesars Sportsbook.
As a Class Action complaint, anyone that has signed up with the company’s “free” or “risk-free bet” offers can join the lawsuit.
“Instead, Caesars provided website credits that Plaintiff was required to use within 2 weeks. Plaintiff did so, and after making those bets Plaintiff still had less money than she initially deposited and wagered. Her initial bet, therefore, was not “risk-free” or “free,“
explains the legal document
Strangely enough, currently, Caesars Sportsbook’s New York page called Go Full Caesars is currently missing any wording involving “free” or “risk-free” bets. The wording of the current offer state that if a person loses their wager, they can receive 100% of the stake back in the form of Bet Credit, applicable up to $1,250.
Jerome is a welcome new addition to the Gambling News team, bringing years of journalistic experience within the iGaming sector. His interest in the industry begun after he graduated from college where he played in regular local poker tournaments which eventually lead to exposure towards the growing popularity of online poker and casino rooms. Jerome now puts all the knowledge he's accrued to fuel his passion for journalism, providing our team with the latest scoops online.
