Lawsuit against Puerto Rico sports betting regulator dismissed
Puerto Rico's sports betting market is heating up, and its expansion isn't without its growing pains. A lawsuit against the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission (PRGC) challenging its registration policies has not been as successful as the plaintiffs had hoped.
Last week, a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by The Stadium LLC against gambling regulators. The complaint alleges unequal and unfair treatment among sports betting operators. The dispute was one of the first over sports betting to reach the courts.
Brick-and-mortar and online sports betting are now legal in Puerto Rico, but in-person registration is still required. The stadium believes the PRGC may have gone too far in interpreting the rules.
No level playing field
Sports Betting Legislation was enacted over a decade ago. In-person registration is required to ensure that only those 18 years or older can place bets.
In September 2013, the PRGC issued an order giving it the final say on whether a spot qualifies for player registration. It even gave itself the power to approve "temporary registration authorities." According to the lawsuit, the concept does not exist in the law.
The stadium, which owns the WinIn brand, claims licensed operators like them never received a copy of the order, ultimately giving Casino Metro an unfair advantage. It complained that the casino set up temporary player check-in kiosks on the grounds of the Puerto Rico Arena during the friendly match between Monica Puig and Venus Williams and also operated these check-ins at other events. pavilion.
The stadium claimed it was not informed of the order until weeks later. It met with the regulator's lawyers to complain about Casino Metro's alleged illegal conduct. In response, PRGC gave him a copy of the policy authorizing the use of temporary kiosks.
Unsatisfied with the situation, the stadium filed a lawsuit in court. It has been suggested that the gambling regulator mistakenly changed sports betting legislation to allow registration on satellite sites.
WinIn operates two sportsbooks in Puerto Rico, one located in Plaza San Patricio and the other located in Avenida Jesús T. Piñero. When the stadium challenged the PRGC's unilateral changes to the legislation, it asked the court to revoke all registrations Casino Metro had outside its main casino.
No legal recourse
The judge hearing the lawsuit disagreed with the stadium's position. The PRGC and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association moved as intervenors to dismiss the complaint, and he agreed.
In his ruling last week, the judge said the stadium could not prove the harm caused by the practice. He stressed that evidence of financial or other harm was a prerequisite for an application for an injunction, such as this one, which seeks to ban a certain practice.
The judge added that the stadium had misunderstood the law because it governs the operation of satellite sites where operators can register players. He said Casino Metro was not given an unfair advantage as any operator could benefit from the PRGC's guidelines. Registrations may be accepted if the property has a gaming license.
The stadium had also previously expected to recover financial damages through the lawsuit. That, too, failed because the judge ruled that the company had made "speculative" profits.
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Source: www.casino.org
