Fanatics Fined For Prohibited College MA Sports Betting Wager


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MA sports betting

Fanatics Sportsbook was fined $15,000 on Thursday for offering a prohibited MA sports betting wager on an in-state college team. 

The fine amount for the non-compliance matter was recommended by the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB)

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) then passed the MA sports betting civil administrative penalty by a 4-0 vote during its public meeting. 

Fanatics agreed with the penalty, according to the IEB.

Details on MA sports betting matter

On Dec. 13, 2023, a $2, five-leg parlay was placed in the Commonwealth.

One leg of the parlay included a prohibited Boston College men’s basketball game. 

Non-tournament college games featuring in-state teams are prohibited from being offered, per state regulations. 

How MA sports betting fine decided

The leg was canceled by Fanatics prior to the game. However, the parlay still lost. 

The MGC elected to turn the matter over to IEB after it was presented in a Feb. 1 public meeting

The IEB investigated the matter, spoke with Fanatics concerning the case, and reviewed remedial measures taken to prevent it from happening again. 

Fanatics faced similar fine before

Fanatics was also fined $10,000 in May for taking a $50 wager on a prohibited college football bowl game featuring Boston College. 

The bet was canceled before the game, and the customer was refunded. However, a fine was still levied. 

The IEB said the previous penalty contributed to how it arrived at its decision to fine Fanatics $15,000 on Thursday. 

Other college fines in Massachusetts

Fanatics is far from the only sportsbook to receive a civil administrative penalty for offering prohibited in-state Massachusetts college games. 

In July 2023, three casinos in the Commonwealth were fined a combined $50,000 for not following the in-state regulations rules regarding college betting. 

At the time, those issues were attributed to technical errors

On the future of college betting

NCAA president Charlie Baker is looking for a nationwide ban involving player prop wagers on student-athletes. 

One lawmaker in New Jersey recently introduced a constitutional amendment that would reverse a ban on in-state college betting. 

However, in 2021, the Garden State soundly voted down the matter when presented with a choice on the ballot.

Photo by AP/Nick Wass