The MA sports betting operators were fined over 50k US dollars

Sports Betting Operators Fined Laws & Regulations

Sports Betting Operators Fined in Massachusetts

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 09 August 2023

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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It has been reported that all three sports betting operators in Massachusetts have been fined by regulators. The fines were announced recently by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and totaled $50,000. The fines were imposed due to three retail sports betting operators taking illegal bets on in-state college games earlier this year.

The three operators that have been fined are Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor. The fines were announced by the Commission in late July, although the incidents in question took place in February. The operators were found to have illegally taken wagers on college basketball games that involved state teams.

Self-Reported Incidents

In Massachusetts, the law prohibits betting on in-state college games unless they are part of a tournament involving at least four teams. The incidents are said to have been self-reported by the operators, and all three cooperated throughout the investigation that took place.

Referring to the self-report from Plainridge Park, the Commission said:

The MGC appreciates the casino self-disclosed this noncompliance and recognized and rewarded the team member who brought the noncompliance incident to its attention. It has also been noted the casino and their vendor worked to rectify the problem and put measures into place to avoid future noncompliance.

Plainridge officials are said to have notified the Commission the day after the incident occurred in early February. The casino was fined $20,000, and this was despite investigations showing that the incident was the result of a data error where the team was shown as being from a different state. The issue was quickly rectified with no further problems occurring.

MGM Springfield was also fined $20,000 for allowing people to bet on the Harvard vs. Yale and Harvard vs. Brown men’s basketball games in early February. Again, this was found to have been down to Harvard being listed as being in a different state, and the incidents were reported to the commission.

The operator now carries out daily audits of the wagers that are offered before sports betting begins for the day in order to ensure similar problems do not occur.

Encore Boston Harbor received the smallest fine from the commission, which came to $10,000. This was for one incident that also took place in early February, when just one bet was taken on the Boston College vs. Notre Dame women’s regular season basketball game. The bet is said to have been voided before the ticket was settled.

According to Encore Boston officials, the reason behind the error was that the team was known under two names, of which only one was flagged as being ineligible for taking bets. The operator now also carries out daily audits to ensure that it complies with regulations regarding sports betting.

All Taking Action to Avoid Similar Issues

Despite the issuance of the fines, the Commission has stated that it is pleased that all three of the operators not only self-reported the issues that arose earlier this year but have also taken proactive steps to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

As in other states, regulators are very strict when it comes to adhering to sports betting regulations, and fines can often be hefty for non-compliance.