DraftKings Sportsbook allowed unapproved tennis MA sports betting wagers in March, a state investigation confirmed.
The operator self-reported the matter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, according to information from Investigations and Enforcement Bureau on Monday.
DraftKings Sportsbook’s non-compliance regarding the Massachusetts sports betting approved events catalog will head to an adjudicatory hearing with state regulators.
MA sports betting violation timeline
From March 10-22, DraftKings allowed unapproved wagers on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour. The tour is not among approved events in Messachusetts.
DraftKings took a combined 864 wagers totaling $7,867 on three different events.
Miscommunication between the trading team and the trading compliance team was cited as the reason for the issue.
Why MA sports betting issue occurred
According to IEB, DraftKings said its trading team copied tennis offerings from a different jurisdiction without verifying state approval with its trading compliance team.
“I get a little frustrated when I see, ‘Well, we just copied from somebody else, and didn’t check the book in Massachusetts,’” MGC commissioner Eileen O’Brien said.
“Like you, I am a little frustrated, and I want to make sure that this practice doesn’t continue,” MGC chair Cathy Judd-Stein added.
What happened with wagers
According to IEB, DraftKings was corporative during the review. The operator voided all wagers on the unapproved events, and notified all impacted customers.
Players had winnings removed from their balances, and original stakes were returned. Losing wagers also had their stakes returned.
UTR markets came down in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, DraftKings performed a review of its tennis events to confirm compliance.
Previous reviews not released yet
State regulators have yet to reveal penalties for the three MA casinos for offering banned markets on in-state college teams.
“I’m worried about prolonging some of these decisions,” MGC Commissioner Jordan Maynard said.
Massachusetts has offered in-person sports betting since Jan. 31, and online sports betting since March 10.
