BetMGM Sportsbook faces an adjudicatory hearing in the Commonwealth after offering prohibited MA sports betting prop wagers on college athletes.
MA sports betting regulators said Thursday that BetMGM Sportsbook accepted more than 15,000 wagers during the 2023 college football season, with total stakes over $200,000.
The wagers involved college player props through the same-game parlay component of the platform, state regulators said.
“Prop bets on students is a statutory violation here in Massachusetts,” Gaming Commission chair Cathy Judd-Stein said.
Why BetMGM matter requires hearing
The commissioners all agreed that an adjudicatory hearing was necessary because of the significance of the statutory violation.
It was noted that the commission’s sports betting team actually discovered the violation during an audit, as opposed to BetMGM reporting the matter.
Typically, violations are self-reported by the sportsbooks. Any penalty BetMGM faces will be determined following the hearing.
Other IEB issues for regulators
The Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) also brought two other non-compliance matters in front of the commission.
MGM Springfield, at its in-person sportsbook, accepted a prohibited parlay wager of less than $10. It was part of an eight-leg parlay that included a prohibited regular-season Northeastern University men’s basketball game. Two legs of the parlay lost.
Meanwhile, Fanatics Sportsbook accepted an improper $2 wager that featured an in-state college team as part of a five-leg parlay in December.
It was decided that both those matters would be sent to IEB. It is unclear what if any punishments will come from any of the three non-compliance issues.
Betr, WynnBET want out of MA sports betting
BetMGM’s issue overshadowed both Betr and WynnBET Sportsbook requesting to leave the MA sports betting market. Betr is requesting to leave on Feb. 16, while WynnBET is requesting to leave on Feb. 23.
However, following some confusion, it was decided their cessation schedules will be worked out with the regulator behind closed doors before being made public.
Since the launch of MA online sports betting in March, WynnBET has a 2.9% handle share. Betr, meanwhile, amassed just a 0.1% handle share.
MA adds PWHL to sports betting events
The MGC on Thursday also accepted a request from Fanatics for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) to be included in the approved sports betting events catalog.
The move is pending the sportsbook contacting the PWHL Players’ Association.
