The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has questioned reports from sportsbook operators DraftKings, Caesars, Penn and WynnBet concerning the accuracy of numbers representing illegal betting activity.
Underage betting numbers have been increasing and the National Collegiate Athletics Association data appears to contradict the operators’.
An NCAA survey in May showed that “many young adults are wagering on sports, often despite age or geographic restrictions.” Meanwhile, an NCAA survey in September found that 25% of people asked whether they were aware of student-athletes being harassed by someone with gambling interests had said “yes.”
The survey also showed that a majority of sports wagering occurs in the Northeastern states and that 3,527 underage people responded that they had bet on sports regardless of operators’ terms or states’ laws.
Both Caesars Sportsbook and WynnBet, however, have reported to the MGC that no accounts have been suspended for underage betting between July and September this year. DraftKings reported one account suspension in July and four in August, but had suspended six accounts the previous quarter. Penn Sports Interactive reported three suspensions, also down from six the quarter before.
Commissioner Brad Hill said that underage people could be betting by using the accounts of others who do meet either the legal betting age or location criteria. Hill said, “There is some concern that there are individuals who are underaged using computers and passwords [of those] who are of age to bet. We’re being told that it is happening.”
