All Three Massachusetts Casinos’ Sportsbooks Fined for Unauthorized Wagers

Article ByDavid Weir

July 27, 2023

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Posted in: Massachusetts Gambling News, US Gambling Crime News, US Sports Betting News

All three currently operating casinos in Massachusetts have been fined by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) for accepting unauthorized sports bets on in-state college teams.

MGM Springfield (pictured), Plainridge Park Casino, and Encore Boston Harbor accepted a total of 52 prohibited bets between them in March, according to the regulator’s findings.

Earlier in June, representatives from the Massachusetts-based and market-leading sports betting operator DraftKings were hauled before the Commission to explain a series of prohibited tennis bets on its online sportsbook.

The MGC is a regulator very willing to question operators on their behavior and introduce new restrictions, as it has proven once again in this case.

Violations and Penalties

The violations occurred during the March Madness basketball tournament period. That’s when the casinos accepted wagers on in-state university teams, which is currently prohibited in Massachusetts.

The MGC has imposed fines on the three casinos, with MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino each having to pay $20,000, while Encore Boston Harbor has been fined $10,000.

MGM Springfield was fined over two wagers on Harvard men’s basketball games, with a total of 28 tickets sold from betting kiosks.

The casino claimed that it mistakenly designated Harvard as a Connecticut team, asserting there was no intention behind the actions.

Plainridge Park Casino accepted 33 wagers from 27 tickets on a game between Merrimack College and Long Island University. The bets were worth a total of $6,848.

The casino stated that a backend error led them to mistakenly believe that Merrimack College was based in Florida.

“Kambi, PPC’s sports wagering vendor, has addressed the issue and corrected Merrimack College’s location to Massachusetts,” the MGC said.

Encore Boston Harbor was penalized for allowing a parlay bet to include a women’s basketball game between Boston College and Notre Dame. The casino had listed the team under two names on its platform, but only one of the names was blacklisted at the time, leading to the confusion.

However, its fine was smaller because it realized its error before the game started and voided that part of the parlay bet.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts is also considering potential penalties against DraftKings. The Boston-based operator made similar claims of miscommunication and mistake, rather than malpractice.

The regulator accepts that such bets were not deliberately offered in these cases. But it probably will take a dim view of similar explanations from operators in the future.

Steps Towards Future Prevention

In response to the violations, WynnBET, the sports betting platform for Encore Boston Harbor, has started running audits twice a day to ensure that no more college sports wagers are accepted. The casinos have also taken steps to rectify the mistakes and prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

The recent fines and ongoing investigations highlight the strict regulatory environment in Massachusetts and the need for sports betting operators to ensure full compliance with all rules and regulations.

“Compliance with the rules and regulations is of utmost importance. We have taken steps to rectify the mistakes and are working to prevent such incidents in the future,” said a representative from MGM Springfield.

The Massachusetts gambling market is worth some $132 million a month in revenues, according to the most recent figures from the MGC.