It was supposed to be a roundtable discussion between the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and representatives from sportsbooks operating in the state. In the end, it was just the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. All 10 sportsbooks declined to show up Tuesday. The MGC began hearing from sportsbooks on Friday that they were not going to appear. The emails continued to come in through Monday. Still, it had to be a bit of a surprise for the MGC to see all the MA operators decline roundtable discussions. The topic for discussion was scheduled to be why winning players see their bets limited, although losing bettors do not.
Acting MGC Chairman Jordan Maynard said several of the sportsbook operators were willing to meet behind closed doors. They did not want their comments made in public. That’s why some MA operators decline roundtable invitations to speak. Maynard said the open meeting laws in the state require transparency.
“We are required by law to do our job in an open forum in Massachusetts,” Maynard said. “At times it can be uncomfortable to have these conversations in public, and we understand it. My fellow commissioners and I are faced with this situation at almost every meeting, without the benefit of being able to collaborate before we join a meeting. It’s tough,” he said. “But that said, transparency is key to the integrity of the industry in Massachusetts.”
Meeting Materials Handed Out
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission did have handouts of material, ranging from letters coming from bettors who saw their accounts limited to online sportsbooks who justified not showing up.
“After I started sports betting and winning, I had restrictions and limits placed on my accounts by sportsbooks,” bettor Alec McCarren wrote to the MGC. “On some platforms, I cannot bet more than $5 at a time. I didn’t take advantage of any system — I have specialized knowledge about sports and work with modeling sports outcomes. The sportsbooks will limit smart bettors playing within the rules, but offer predatory VIP programs and invest a ton in targeted advertisements to bettors that consistently lose, fueling addiction to fuel their profits. They can’t have it both ways.”
The MGC received letters from 59 bettors. Many objected to some bettors being limited, although those who frequently lost could bet as much as they wanted. Others spoke of their online sports betting accounts being limited to more than one sportsbook.
The sportsbooks are targeting the novice players, those who are new to betting and need a betting odds calculator to figure parlay payouts. That’s just good business sense.
Sportsbooks Weigh In
Although the sportsbooks operating in the state didn’t appear, some sent in responses to the questions posed by the MGC ahead of the meeting.
“We do not believe that we can have a meaningful discussion in a public forum about our wager limits and risk management processes,” FanDuel Vice President of Product and New Market Compliance Cory Fox wrote. “Risk management, similar to trading (i.e., setting prices) is a core part of our business and our value proposition as a sportsbook, and it is critical for FanDuel to maintain confidentiality over our proprietary systems. We respectfully request the opportunity to meet privately in Executive Session to discuss these matters and provide the level of information necessary to properly understand our approach.”
The other sportsbooks echoed similar sentiments regarding sensitive information as to why the MA operators decline roundtable invitations.
The MGC wasn’t happy regarding the sportsbook snub but hasn’t said what action will be taken. It’s possible nothing comes from the meeting, although that will be for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to decide.
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