Massachusetts regulators handed down $80,500 in fines to 5 licensed sportsbooks after uncovering eight separate violations tied largely to prohibited betting markets. The Massachusetts Gaming Fee authorized the fines in a unanimous 5-0 vote throughout its March 12 public meeting, saying the enforcement actions are supposed to strengthen operator compliance and reinforce shopper protections within the state’s authorized betting market.
A lot of the instances concerned wagers that ought to by no means have been supplied below Massachusetts’ sports activities wagering catalog, together with restricted collegiate participant props and different impermissible betting markets.
The biggest high-quality of the day went to Fanatics, which should pay $20,000 after providing wagers on a July 26, 2025 UFC bout involving Petr Yan. Massachusetts bars betting on athletes who actively promote or signify Russia or Belarus below present restrictions. Regulators stated Fanatics accepted 154 wagers totaling $1,086.76 earlier than the market was recognized and shut down.
BetMGM obtained a $15,000 penalty tied to 2 separate incidents involving the identical fighter. In a single case, the sportsbook accepted 36 wagers totaling $849 on Yan’s November 23, 2024 combat. Within the different, no buyer bets had been taken, however state investigators had been in a position to place two test-account wagers totaling $22 earlier than the market was flagged.
Massachusetts regulator pushes sportsbooks towards stricter compliance by way of fines
Two further operators had been fined $10,000 every. Caesars Sportsbook’s penalty got here after it supplied wagers on the whole variety of pink playing cards issued throughout UEFA Euro 2024. That market generated six bets from three patrons with a mixed stake of $8,270.
DraftKings was penalized for providing an impermissible dwell collegiate prop tied to Arizona participant Caleb Love’s factors complete throughout a March 23, 2025 males’s basketball sport towards Oregon. The corporate accepted 89 wagers totaling $1,655 earlier than voiding and resettling the bets.
A number of smaller violations added to the whole. Fanatics obtained a separate $7,500 high-quality for providing bets on the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, which drew 36 wagers totaling $545.70 earlier than being voided or rendered moot. BetMGM was fined $6,500 after accepting a $10 two-leg parlay that included a participant prop on UNLV receiver Ricky White’s receiving yards in an October 19, 2024 sport.
DraftKings additionally obtained one other $6,500 penalty for selling a wager tied to Michigan operating again Blake Corum scoring a landing and Michigan profitable the nationwide championship. That market attracted 13 wagers totaling $457.80 earlier than the sportsbook canceled and refunded the bets.
FanDuel obtained the smallest high-quality, $5,000, after itemizing an impermissible prop tied to Nebraska quarterback Jeff Sims’ passing yards in a September 9, 2023 sport towards Colorado. Regulators stated the market was accessible for roughly two days and accepted 9 wagers totaling $69.81 earlier than being eliminated.
Though commissioners authorized all penalties unanimously, Commissioner Eileen O’Brien stated she would have most well-liked greater fines. “I might go greater on most of those,” O’Brien stated, whereas including that she understood the fee’s rationale and the will for consistency throughout instances.
O’Brien additionally argued “I don’t assume the metrics ought to solely be evaluating ourselves to different jurisdictions.”
Commissioner Nakisha Skinner pointed to bettering compliance efforts from operators. “I need to give credit score the place credit score is due,” Skinner stated, including that sportsbooks have “actually stepped up” their critiques and inner response protocols.
Fee Chair Jordan Maynard framed the instances as proof that regulation works. “Pseudo regulated markets are what I’ve been calling them,” Maynard stated, contrasting Massachusetts with jurisdictions missing related oversight.
He acknowledged that authorized sportsbooks give bettors recourse when errors occur. “When you’re within the authorized market, we are able to be sure that patrons are made complete,” he stated.
Maynard added that enforcement is supposed to push the business towards stronger programs and transparency, together with new insurance policies requiring sportsbooks to notify bettors at least 48 hours before account limits are imposed. Regulators are additionally reviewing different compliance points, together with allegations that BetMGM sent marketing emails to individuals who may have been underage, as a part of broader oversight of sportsbook practices within the state.
Featured picture: Massachusetts Gaming Fee / Canva
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