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- Illegal sports wagers are at the center of violations.
- Massachusetts bans in-state collegiate team betting.
- Virtual hearings will be held to determine the punishment.
Next week, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will host virtual hearings to determine the penalties for Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield regarding illegal sports betting.
Several wagers were posted with both operators that do not comply with the industry regulations.
Details of the MGM Infractions
Over $1,200 in bets were placed via MGM Springfield back in February involving the Harvard University basketball team. The university was listed as an out of state institution, which is incorrect. Harvard was added to a blacklist document but was listed under another state instead of Massachusetts. It was placed under Connecticut.
BetMGM corrected the designation as it operates the sports betting services at the MGM Springfield casino. The brand plans to complete a daily audit for all wagers on offer to ensure no restrictions are violated.
Encore Boston Harbor Also in the Hot Seat
The Gaming Commission will meet on April 14 to discuss MGM and the issues with Encore Boston Harbor. Encore is under review as well for banned wagers. Players at the casino were able to bet on a women’s basketball game that included Boston College. This is of course, not allowed.
Bets were accepted by the casino due to a glitch in the system, which is operated by GAN. The sports betting company helps Encore by listing events that are on offer for betting. This incident in February was the second time that the casino was found in breach of illegal sports betting.
At Encore, players were able to post $70 in bets on the game. Last month, a hearing took place on the topic, with a third-party provider stating that the bet was added to the list due to a rush in uploading the available bets as Massachusetts prepared to launch retail sports betting.
Basically, it seems the issues stem from a rush to get started and not enough attention paid to the teams that are not allowed to be wagered on in Massachusetts. It would not be surprising to see hefty fines handed down to the two companies based on the breaches. The gaming regulator will need to set a precedent that this type of action should not take place, though they will understand that mistakes will happen in a new industry.
We should know by next week what the fines are, if any, as well as any additional action taken towards the two gaming companies in the state.
