- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission agreed to levy a $15,000 fine to FanDuel
- FanDuel accepted thousands of improper bets on the LPGA from 2023 through 2024
- The licensed sports betting operator accepted $78,254.56 in total handle on the markets
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission agreed to levy a $15,000 civil administrative penalty to FanDuel for thousands of improperly accepted bets on the LPGA from March 2023 through June 2024.
The Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) today suggested the fine to members of the gaming commission, which was unanimously approved. An adjudicatory hearing for the FanDuel incident was held this previous October.
Massachusetts has since approved the LPGA as a betting market.
Nearly $80,000 Accepted by FanDuel on LPGA
According to Diandra Franks, enforcement counsel for the IEB, FanDuel accepted 7,155 bets on the LPGA from March 26, 2023, through June 6, 2024, for a total handle of $78,254.56. The sports betting operator reportedly believed the LPGA was a member of the International Federation of PGA tours, which was approved under the state’s sports betting catalogue in 2023.
The MGC eventually approved the LPGA as a sports betting market on June 6, 2024.
BetMGM was fined $10,000 by the MGC earlier this year for a similar incident. BetMGM accepted 1,934 bets on the LPGA from March 20, 2023, through May 14, 2024, for a total handle of $1,642.46.
Franks noted that FanDuel’s fine was more expensive than BetMGM’s due to the higher number of bets accepted, the higher total handle, and the longer open window of bets accepted in the state.
The MGC unanimously agreed to the fine.
Additional Noncompliance Events Discussed
The IEB also presented the details of three other noncompliance events, two of which involved the same prohibited sports betting market.
Fanatics Betting and Gaming allegedly accepted 13,045 bets on the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League for total handle of $712,957.19. Fanatics Betting and Gaming accepted the bets from July 1, 2024, through April 25, 2025. The basketball league is not an approved sports betting market int he commonwealth.
The MGC directed the noncompliance incident back to the IEB for additional investigation.
Finally, two noncompliance incidents from Caesars Sportsbook and Encore Boston Harbor (WynnBET) were discussed. Both operators accepted improper bets on the college basketball Crown tournament, which is not a sanctioned NCAA events.
Caesars Sportsbook accepted 1,039 wagers between March 23, 2025 through March 31, 2025 for a total stake of $56,665.39. Encore Boston Harbor at its retail sportsbook accepted 77 bet from March 30, 2025 and March 31, 2025 for a total stake of $5,199.
Both Caesars Sportsbook and Encore Boston Harbor accepted the bets prior to reaching out to the MGC to see if it was an authorized event, Nathaniel Kennedy, enforcement counsel for the IEB, reported. The MGC informed the operators it was not an authorized event, and betting on the market was closed.
The MGC directed both noncompliance incidents back to the IEB for additional investigation.
