Borgata Casino High Roller Canada Flights Fined
Borgata Casino in Atlantic City has been awarded a $25,000 fine by Canadian authorities for operating its private jet as an "unlicensed airline" to transport selected high rollers in Canada to and from its property in New Jersey for free.
High Roller Flights from Canada
The original fine of $25,000 has been reduced to half after an appeal. The Federal Court of Canada has agreed that the casino have a review done to check whether they did in fact break the rules or not.
The flights are free, and are offered to Canadians who have a history of gambling big, even though there is no obligation for the player to place high roller bets even after taking the free flight.
The free flight is only offered to some players, and those who hope to get repeat invitations for the free high roller flights from Canada that are offered on the private jet, will make sure to wager high each time that they come to the casino.
Some Canadians, who have accepted the free flights from the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, have been asked to file affidavits for the Canadian government regarding the perks that they were offered by the Atlantic City casino.
The Borgata Casino owns just two corporate jets, which fly between Montreal and Atlantic City and Toronto and Atlantic City. A Montreal high roller, Jonathan Gurman, said in his affidavit that he had been given a number of free flights to the Atlantic City casino over many years.
Gurman noted that, at time, he had been a recipient of a number of free trips within the same year. At first he drove to Atlantic City, although after that, the casino contacted Gurman to offer him a seat on their private jet.
Canadian Transport Agency Object
The Canadian Transport Agency began to track the casino's shuttle flights for the years 2008 and 2009, and decided that the private jets were operating as an actual airline and they did not have an airline license.
In the appeal that took place in 2010, the Borgata Casino said that it was not operating as an airline, since passengers could not book a flight on the jets, and that the free flights that are offered are not advertised first. The casino argues that not only is it a perk for certain casino clients, but that offered to a fraction of one percent of players at the casino.
Steven Norton, who has worked in the casino business for four decades, said: "They are going out to find new business and the wealthy markets of Toronto and Montreal are enviable markets. It is not unusual to do what you can to bring in well-heeled gamblers."
