Atlantic City regulators have fined Evolution $12,000 for multiple mistakes at its live dealer studios, including missing cards, dealer missteps, and roulette violations. The first case occurred on June 15, 2021, when their blackjack dealer in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City failed to deal himself a card in the opening round. Instead, he dealt cards to four player spots, then shifted cards back one spot to correct the mistake. 

Regulators ruled this as a violation of state procedure, which requires the cards to remain in place with the dealer taking an extra card. The culprit was disciplined with a written warning. 

Blackjack Errors Raise Concerns

On January 6, 2023, another blackjack issue arose when an online table displayed an incorrect rule. The layout read “Dealer must stand on 17 and must draw on 16,” when it should have stated “Dealer must hit soft 17.” Due to this error, the dealer’s actions contradicted the rules shown on the table. State regulators flagged the mistake but no disciplinary action has been taken.

Furthermore, Evolution dealt blackjack for more than 16 hours using two decks missing a total of five cards at its Ocean Casino Resort studio on September 19, 2023. A total of 438 rounds were played before the mistake was discovered. Despite the scale of this error, no dealers were disciplined.

Roulette Spin Violations

Another violation involved roulette spins on March 23, 2023. Dealers are required by law to spin the ball at least four times around the wheel before it settles into a slot. However, regulators found that balls were frequently making only three revolutions. 

When interviewed, five dealers admitted they did not know about the four-spin requirement. None of the dealers were penalised, but the incident was deemed unacceptable by the enforcement division.

Regulatory Action and Penalty

In documents released earlier this month, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement fined Evolution a $12,000 penalty for “impermissible dealing practices.” Interim director Mary Jo Flaherty wrote that the failure of dealers and managers to ensure proper game conduct resulted in numerous regulatory breaches.

Furthermore, regulators announced the forfeiture of $186,184 in winnings from gamblers under 21 years or currently on self-exclusion. Under New Jersey law, forfeited amounts of $100,000 or more must be split into $50,000 for compulsive gambling treatment and prevention programs, while the remainder goes to the Casino Revenue Fund for seniors and disabled residents. These enforcement actions show the state’s dual commitment to protecting game integrity and promoting responsible gambling.