Caesars Sued Over Deceptive Online Casino Bonus in Pennsylvania

A Lawsuit Targets Caesars

The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), a nonprofit led by legal scholars, launched a lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Caesars Palace Online Casino and its retail partner, Harrah’s Philadelphia. Titled Brubaker vs. Chester Downs and Marina, LLC et al., the case slams Caesars’ “100% deposit match up to $2,500” welcome bonus as “dangerous, misleading, and illegal” due to hidden, unattainable wagering requirements buried in fine print.

PHAI claims Caesars’ bonus lures new players with a promise of up to $2,500 but demands absurd playthrough conditions. For table games like blackjack, players must wager 75 times the bonus: $375,000 for the full $2,500, within seven days.

PHAI’s Mark Gottlieb and Dr. Harry Levant calculated that a player betting $10 per hand, playing two hands per minute nonstop, would need 312.5 hours, or 44 hours daily, to meet the threshold. “It’s an unreachable chase,” Gottlieb said, accusing Caesars of designing a bonus players can’t win.

How Players Get Burned

The lawsuit alleges Caesars keeps all losses during the seven-day period and blocks withdrawals until the $375,000 mark is hit, leaving players empty-handed.

PHAI calls this a deliberate trap, with the fine print obscuring terms that make the bonus “impossible.” The group argues Caesars’ tactics skirt Pennsylvania law by imposing excessive barriers to accessing promised funds, exploiting new customers in a “frenzied pursuit” of an unattainable reward.

PHAI seeks a court injunction to halt Caesars’ bonus and similar playthrough promotions, plus statutory damages and legal fees. This isn’t PHAI’s first rodeo in gaming. In December 2023, they sued DraftKings in Massachusetts over a misleading $1,000 bonus requiring a $5,000 deposit and $25,000 wager.

In October 2024, PHAI took on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for failing to collect player behavior data. Led by Professor Richard Daynard, known for 1990s tobacco lawsuits, PHAI targets predatory gambling practices.

Slamming the Regulator

PHAI didn’t spare the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), blasting it for allowing such promotions for years. Gottlieb called Caesars’ math “predatory,” accusing the PGCB of either complicity or ignorance.

Dr. Levant echoed this, saying the regulator is “either in on it or clueless” about Caesars’ impact on Pennsylvanians. The PGCB responded tersely, noting they’re reviewing the lawsuit but declining further comment.