Michigan’s gaming regulator has fined Caesars Sportsbook as a result of a technological error that allowed a state resident to deposit a total of more than $2.1 million without actually funding the deposits.
Caesars agreed to pay the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) $100,000 as a settlement after the board found that the bettor, Jeffrey Saco, exploited a system application failure to make 116 deposits despite “no physical cash deposit or other authorized method of account funding” to support the deposits, according to a document obtained by SBC Americas.
Through the deposits, which the MGCB described last year as “fictitious,” the gambler was able to bet a total of more than $88 million and withdraw nearly $600,000 in April 2023, after which he stopped playing with Caesars.
Fake deposits used at rate of 26 bets per hour
The operator self-reported the technological issue and the resulting violation, said the MGCB. The regulator’s investigation found that Saco used the fake deposits to place almost 10,000 bets within a 16-day span, at an average rate of around 26 bets an hour. He then allegedly transferred more than $521,000 into his personal bank account and stopped using the Caesars Sportsbook app.
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams issued a Notice of Opportunity to Show Compliance to Caesars in July. The operator acknowledged the violation and agreed to pay the $100,000 settlement on July 28, and Williams signed the Acknowledgement of Violation on Aug. 11, 2025.
The MGCB officially adopted the AOV’s terms on Sept. 9.
At an MGCB meeting that same day, Caesars VP of Compliance & Licensing Lisa Rankin said that Caesars not only investigated and self-reported the issue but worked with Michigan law enforcement in efforts to criminally prosecute Saco. Rankin added that Caesars also worked with its third-party player account management (PAM) provider to ensure the error would be a one-time occurrence.
Gambler gets jail time, pays up to Caesars
As a result of the criminal enforcement efforts, Saco was hit with eight felony charges. He received three months in jail and three years of probation in April 2025 after entering a plea deal. As part of his restitution, he paid Caesars $25,000 upfront and is paying them an additional $2,500 per month throughout his probationary period.
SBC Americas reached out to Caesars both at the time the violation surfaced publicly in October 2024 and this week, but did not receive any responses.
Caesars operates online sports betting in Michigan via a license in the name of William Hill. Caesars acquired the British sportsbook in 2021 and retained its U.S. operations, selling the non-U.S. business to 888 in 2022.
