Florida Casino Fined $20,000 Over Poker TournamentHialeah Park Doesn't Admit To Wrongdoing In Settlement |
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A top poker room in the state of Florida was fined $20,000 by the state for alleged misconduct in an August poker tournament that players claim was full of irregularities.
According to the Sun Sentinel, Hialeah Park casino agreed to pay the fine but “neither admits nor denies the violations” that the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering uncovered.
It’s unclear if any employee will eventually face criminal charges over the tournament, which allegedly didn’t even announce how many players had entered. One of numerous allegations was that the casino allowed some players to enter for free. The buy-in was $250.
Florida also alleged that the casino put some players at specific seats rather than randomly determining their table draw and that some surveillance cameras weren’t functional.
The six-day August tournament never had its results released, with some of the payouts allegedly happening in a back room, rather than at the cage.
The Sun Sentinel reported that the room’s revenue has declined since the scandal became big news in South Florida’s poker community. The poker room raked more than $8 million last year.
Despite the case, poker players shouldn’t worry about Florida poker games being unsafe or crooked. The August tournament was the first major card-room irregularity since poker became legal in the Sunshine State in 1996. Florida has nearly 30 poker rooms.
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