Massachusetts Gaming Commission To (Try To) Address Sports Bettor Limiting (Again)

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is set to hold a public meeting next Wednesday, Sept. 11, to discuss the controversial practice of limiting sports bettors. Interim Chair Jordan Maynard announced that all licensed sportsbook operators in the state are expected to attend, following sharp criticism after only one operator, Bally’s, showed up at the May meeting on the same topic.

This upcoming session is anticipated to be a pivotal moment in the ongoing discussion around transparency and fairness in the state’s sports betting industry. The licensed operators in Massachusetts — BetMGM, ESPN Bet, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, Bally’s, and Fanatics — are expected to confirm their attendance for next week’s meeting.

Their required participation follows a strong rebuke from the MGC, particularly from Commissioner Nakisha Skinner, who has been vocal in her disappointment over the lack of engagement in May. During a discussion in August, Skinner emphasized that this meeting is not an opportunity for operators to “save face” by merely attending. Now, operators will be expected to provide substantive contributions on the issue of bettor limitations, a practice that has raised concerns among both regulators and bettors.

The MGC had submitted a series of questions to operators ahead of the May roundtable, requesting insight into their decision-making processes for limiting sports bettors. However, operators largely declined to provide detailed answers, citing concerns about revealing proprietary information in a public setting.

Despite these concerns, MGC legal counsel Todd Grossman has clarified that the commission cannot legally hold a closed session to discuss these matters, due to Massachusetts’ public record laws. This means that operators will be expected to publicly disclose data and insights regarding their practices at the upcoming meeting.

Pulling back the curtain

The issue of limiting bettors, especially those who are believed to be a threat to beat the house, has been a growing concern in the sports betting community. Many bettors have expressed frustration over sudden reductions in the amounts they’re allowed to wager without explanation.

Another major point of concern is the lack of data regarding how many patrons are being limited and for what reasons. Without clear data, it is difficult for both regulators and the public to assess whether these limitations are being applied fairly.

Operators have argued that limits are necessary to maintain profitability and to manage risk, particularly when dealing with high-volume or highly successful bettors.

It’s time to come clean

None of the licensed sportsbooks in Massachusetts have publicly disclosed how many bettors they have limited due to winning or the criteria they use in making those decisions. Operators maintain that their user agreements grant them broad authority to refuse wagers or impose limits on betting amounts.

These agreements typically allow sportsbooks to limit wagers at their discretion and without explanation.

The meeting isn’t expected to be a forum just for operators. Part of the time will be given to the public and industry insiders for their feedback and input as well.

The upcoming meeting will see the involvement of American Bettors’ Voice (ABV), a newly formed nonprofit organization that advocates for sports bettors. Casino Reports has learned that Richard Schuetz, ABV’s CEO (and a Casino Reports columnist), is expected to speak during the meeting.

Schuetz, who, among other prominent roles, previously served as a member of the California Gambling Control Commission, has been a vocal advocate for transparency and fairness in the sports betting industry. ABV’s mission is to ensure that bettors have a voice in the rapidly growing U.S. sports betting market, and its presence at the meeting underscores the MGC’s interest in addressing bettor concerns in a transparent manner.