The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has issued a $10,000 fine against Fanatics for accepting a wager on a Boston College game. The regular determined during a recent meeting that the bet violated the state’s sports betting rules.
According to the current laws on the books, the state regulator “strictly prohibits bets on in-state college teams unless they are participating in a larger tournament, such as March Madness.”
The commission outlined the specifics of Fanatics’ violation during the meeting and said that the sportsbook took a bet from a customer in December. The player placed a $50 wager on the Eagles when the team took on Southern Methodist University during the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
The regulator went on to state that the sportsbook self-reported the incident to the commission “within 24 hours.” Fanatics’ sportsbook also canceled the bet and returned the money to the customer.
However, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission found that accepting the bet on a December collegiate football game violated regulatory gaming rules and voted 4 to 0 to enforce the fine.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Interim Chair Jordan Maynard said that the commission handled the incident well.
This is not the first time the commission has cracked down on operators accepting bets of this nature.
Encore Boston Harbor received a $40,000 fine earlier this year after the commission determined that the casino’s sportsbook “accepted wagers on two events involving a collegiate team based in Massachusetts not competing in a tournament.”
The state regulator, along with Investigations and Enforcement Bureau, looked into the incident after Encore offered players a chance to bet on a regular season game women’s basketball game between Boston College and the University of North Carolina.
According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 23N Section 3 and the Massachusetts Sports Wagering Catalog, wagers like this are prohibited.
