Fox Bet Sportsbook and PlayUp Shut Down in New Jersey

Sports betting is changing in New Jersey as two operators no longer offer services in the state. The most recent closure involves Fox Bet, with the company ceasing wagers on July 31. Before that, PlayUp was stripped of its licensing in the sports betting market by NJ casino gaming officials. We’ve got the scoop on both closures below.

Fox Bet Sportsbook is a joint venture that Fox Corporation and Flutter Entertainment created. In New Jersey, Fox Bet stopped taking wagers beginning on July 31 and will leave accounts open through August 31. Players have to go through this time frame to remove funds.

The closure affects not only services in New Jersey but also Pennsylvania and Michigan. Fox Bet launched in 2019 and is considered a sister site to FanDuel. Players of the brand are now being redirected to the FanDuel Sportsbook in New Jersey.

Fox Corp will retain the Fox and Fox Bet brands. This includes the Fox Bet Super 6. The company plans to launch a new Fox Super 6 game later this year. Once August 31 rolls around, players with any money left in Fox Bets accounts can log in to PokerStars or PokerStars Casino apps for access to funds.

It takes a lot for a gaming operator to lose their licensing, which is generally unheard of in the United States. However, last month, it was announced that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement decided to issue an emergency order to revoke the New Jersey Sports Betting license of PlayUp. The brand is no longer allowed to offer online gaming or sports betting in the state.

The order required the brand to continue processing any existing wagers and withdrawals made by customers. PlayUp is the first brand in the state to lose licensing for any reason. The company lost licensing because it did not provide the requested financial information connected to sports betting.

The state asked for year-to-date employee tax withholdings, bank statements, and payroll registers in late June. The information was never received. The division also reported concern over outstanding invoices with significant reductions in workers in the state, plus internal controls that remained questionable.

The company was also shut down in Colorado. The company notified regulators in the state of the closure and requested to place their sportsbook application and platform in maintenance mode. Players can withdraw funds in Colorado despite the site shutting down.

Every online casino, sportsbook, and poker room operating in the US must comply with regulator protocols. This includes sending in proper paperwork as requested by officials. Any breach can result in fines or the loss of licensing. In the case of PlayUp, the operator did not supply the paperwork as requested, and it appears that the gaming officials feel that the company needed to be operating up to state standards.

In most cases, if officials make a request, it is followed through by the operator in due time. Fines may be handed out for violations based on breaking the rules for bets or services, but cases of not sending in paperwork are few and far between.

The protocols are in place to ensure that each online casino and sportsbook are operating accordingly. They are upholding all regulations that provide player protection for every member. Gaming officials in the US do a great job maintaining order and reviewing operators, so they stay on track and don’t break any protocols.

Even though two sportsbooks no longer serve New Jersey, the state still has 20 online providers in operation. There are plenty of sites and apps to pick from.