BetMGM Allegedly Accepted Thousands of Improper College Football Player Prop Bets in Massachusetts

Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (2) celebrates with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) after catching a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns in the 2024 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY SportsBetMGM faces an adjudicatory hearing in Massachusetts for accepting improper college football player prop betsThe Investigations and Enforcement Bureau reported BetMGM accepted more than 15,000 improper college football player prop bets during the seasonThe monetary value of the bets was over $200,000

BetMGM will face an adjudicatory hearing in the commonwealth after allegedly accepting more than 15,000 improper college football player prop bets in Massachusetts over the course of the college football season.

The Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) reported the details of the noncompliance issue at today’s Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting. It was reported that BetMGM accepted more than $200,000 in improper bets during the college football season on player props.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission prohibits operators from offering prop bets on college athletes.

Not Self-Reported by BetMGM

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission unanimously agreed that an adjudicatory hearing was necessary for this noncompliance matter. MGC Commissioner Eileen O’Brien suggested a hearing be held due to the “breadth” of the noncompliance issue and the fact that it was not self-reported by BetMGM.

A member of the commission’s sports wagering team identified the improper bets.

“This should be adjudicatory. Hats off to our sports wagering team for some auditing work that caught this, as opposed to some self-reporting. The breadth of it, the statutory violation, the number of bets, the money, I think this warrants adjudicatory,” she said.

An adjudicatory hearing will include all involved parties participating in a legal review of the incident.

The MGC has three potential options to take when dealing with noncompliance incidents. The commission can designate the IEB to investigate the incident further, it can call for an adjudicatory hearing for the incident, or it can issue a civil administrative penalty to the operator, which the operator can then appeal.

Prop bets on students is a statutory violation in Massachusetts, MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said, and an issue that is starting to be discussed throughout the country.

“I’m interested in solving this matter as quickly as possible for the protection of our student athletes,” she said.

Two Other Noncompliance Issues

The MGC also discussed two other noncompliance issues during the meeting.

The IEB noted that MGM Springfield improperly accepted a bet for less than $10 involving the Northeastern Men’s basketball team. The MGC prohibits sports bets on in-state colleges if they’re not playing in a national tournament.

The bet was part of an eight-leg parlay, which lost. The commissioners agreed to let the IEB handle the outcome of the noncompliance matter, which would likely result in a noncompliance letter being sent to the casino or a fine.

If a fine is levied, or by some unlikely circumstance the casino’s sports betting license was revoked due to the matter, the MGC would have to ratify the decision.

The final noncompliance matter involved Fanatics Betting and Gaming. The Fanatics Sportsbook accepted an improper $2 bet on an in-state college team this past December as part of a five-leg parlay. The IEB noted that it’s similar to a separate noncompliance issue that also involves the Fanatics Sportsbook. The commissioners decided on an adjudicatory hearing for the matter.