MGC Fines Five Massachusetts Sportsbooks $80,500 for Eight Violations
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has fined five sportsbooks a combined $80,500 across eight violations, most involving prop bets
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has issued eight fines to five licensed sports betting operators. The total came to $80,500. BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, and FanDuel were all penalized.
The commission voted unanimously to approve all eight fines. The Gaming Commission will also be in charge of implementing and regulating the newly passed legislation that requires Mass sportsbooks to provide gamblers with limit notifications, making Mass the first state in the country to do so.
BetMGM, DraftKings, and Fanatics each received two separate fines. Caesars and FanDuel each received one. The violations span incidents dating back to 2023 and running through 2025.
The Violations in Detail
Fanatics received the largest single fine and the highest total. A $20,000 penalty covered 154 bets accepted on Russian UFC fighter Petr Yan between July 4 and July 24, 2025. Massachusetts prohibits wagering on Russian and Belarusian athletes. A separate $7,500 fine covered 36 Heisman Trophy bets placed in early 2025, a market that is not permitted in the state. Fanatics’ total for the meeting was $27,500.
BetMGM was fined $21,500 across two incidents. A $15,000 penalty covered bets accepted on Petr Yan across two separate timeframes. A $6,500 fine was issued for a single $10 college player prop bet on a UNLV wide receiver’s receiving yards in October 2024.
DraftKings received $16,500 in total fines. A $10,000 penalty covered 89 bets totaling $1,600 on player props during an Arizona vs. Oregon NCAA basketball game on March 23, 2025. The market was live for two hours. A $6,500 fine covered 13 impermissible bets placed on a University of Michigan running back between January 5 and 6, 2024.
Caesars was fined $10,000 for accepting six bets on the number of red cards during the 2024 UEFA Euro Tournament. Massachusetts bans wagering on officiating decisions. The bets totaled $8,270 and spanned a month-long window from June to July 2024.
FanDuel received a $5,000 fine for accepting prop bets on a Nebraska quarterback over a two-day window in September 2023.
Mitigating Factors Acknowledged
All eight violations were self-reported by the operators. Commissioner Nakisha Skinner noted that fact explicitly. Five of the eight violations occurred within the first two years of Massachusetts sports betting going live. Two occurred within the first year.
In all cases, operators either voided the impermissible wagers or compensated affected bettors to the MGC’s satisfaction before the fines were assessed.
Commissioner Eileen O’Brien voted in favor of all eight fines but indicated she would have gone higher in most cases. Her fellow commissioners outvoted her on at least one occasion, keeping a fine at $10,000 rather than the higher amount she proposed.
A Closely Watched Market
Massachusetts has developed a reputation for active regulatory oversight. The MGC has now issued multiple rounds of fines to licensed operators since the market launched in 2023. The commission passed first-in-the-nation rules requiring sportsbooks to notify bettors within 48 hours whenever their accounts are limited. That rule takes effect June 1, 2026.
A separate Senate bill, SB302, is currently advancing through the legislature. It would ban all in-play and proposition bets and raise the online sports betting tax rate from 20% to 51%. The Sports Betting Alliance and its members, including Massachusetts-headquartered DraftKings, have publicly opposed both the prop bet ban and the tax increase. That broader legislative push makes the commission’s ongoing enforcement activity all the more significant for operators operating in the state.
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