MGM Springfield, located in Massachusetts, was fined $25,000 by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) for taking bets on a college baseball game between Northeastern University and Campbell University that was not approved for wagering in the state.
Betting was available for this game on April 5, 2025 and would not have been permissible under Massachusetts law, as betting on college teams located within the state is not allowed unless the team is playing in a national tournament, which was not the case here.
According to the MGC Enforcement Division’s investigation, the betting market was available for approximately two hours before a gaming agent identified the incorrect market and removed it.
The latest penalty adds to a series of similar compliance issues involving MGM’s Massachusetts operations. In 2024, the operator was fined after accepting bets on college basketball games featuring Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The company also faced disciplinary action in 2023 after sportsbook platform BetMGM incorrectly classified Harvard University as being located in Connecticut, resulting in prohibited betting markets being offered.
During the same meeting, regulators also fined BetMGM for accepting wagers on boxing events held in Saudi Arabia in 2025. According to the commission, 79 bets were placed before the issue was detected.
Massachusetts regulators have consistently taken a strict approach to compliance failures, even when no customer harm occurs or betting activity is limited. The commission has repeatedly emphasized that licensed operators must maintain robust controls to prevent restricted wagering markets from becoming available.
The MGC noted that the violation was not mitigated by the fact that no bets were placed on this game and there were no substantial customer impacts, emphasizing to operators their obligation to comply with all Massachusetts state regulations regarding college sports betting at all times.
