Fanatics Sportsbook was fined $10,000 on Thursday for taking an in-state bet on Boston College in violation of MA sports betting rules.
The incident occurred in December when a Fanatics customer placed a $50 bet on the Eagles in thier matchup in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against the Southern Methodist University football team. MA sports betting rules strictly prohibit bets on in-state college teams unless they are participating in a larger tournament, such as March Madness.
The sports betting company self-reported the violation within 24 hours, canceled the wager, and refunded the customer. On Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission deemed the sportsbook to have violated its rules.
MA sports betting regulator enforces rule
The commission voted 4-0 to enforce the “civil administrative penalty” after a recommendation from the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau. The IEB began investigating the incident after Fanatics notified the commission of the mistake in December.
Jordan Maynard, the interim chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, emphasized the importance of adhering to established guidelines. He took over
“The goal of the commission was to ensure that the rules were clear and followed,” Maynard said. “This was achieved in this case, and it was handled well.”
Market left open for nearly 20 hours
Fanatics informed the commission that the market was open to Massachusetts customers from 11 am on Dec. 5, through 5:50 am on Dec. 6. The company attributed the mistake to a trader’s accident and ensured regulators it took steps to prevent it from happening again.
Fanatics has not notified MGC whether it will appeal the fine.
Last year, the MGC fined Plainridge Park Casino and MGM Springfield $20,000 each for similar violations, as well as Encore Boston Harbor which paid $10,000. Violators have mostly attributed the issue to technical errors.
