Casinos Fined For Concert Gouging

Bally’s and Caesars charged people as much as $50 to park during the shows, according to the state’s Gaming Enforcement Division, despite being authorized to only charge $30.

The casinos apparently asked for permission to raise the parking rates during concerts by Blake Shelton in July and Lady Antebellum in August 2014. After the city found out how much had been charged and cited the casinos, they stopped posting parking rates and adopted a variable pricing structure, charging patrons whatever rate was in effect when they left the garage. “The use of such practices by casino license holders reflects discredit upon the gaming industry, and constitutes an unsuitable manner of operation,” the state’s gaming director David Rebuck wrote.

As part of the deal, the casinos have agreed to stop charging variable rates for parking during shows and will give consumers 72 hours advance notice for changes in rates. Caesars noted in a statement that the company is committed to “being transparent in all of its operations. We regret any misunderstanding related to parking rates in our Atlantic City facilities.”