Massachusetts Gaming Commission Tightens Oversight with FanDuel Fine and College Basketball Probe

FanDuel’s Costly Misstep

FanDuel faced a $15,000 penalty for accepting 7,155 illegal LPGA bets worth $78,254.56 from March 2023 to June 2024. The MGC noted FanDuel mistakenly believed the LPGA fell under the approved International Federation of PGA Tours catalog, only rectified when the LPGA was officially added on June 6, 2024.

The fine, higher than BetMGM’s $10,000 for a similar issue, reflected FanDuel’s larger volume and longer duration of non-compliance.

The MGC also flagged Fanatics Betting and Gaming for taking 13,045 unauthorized bets worth $712,957.19 on the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, referring the case to its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) for further action.

College Basketball Crown Under Fire

Caesars Sportsbook and Encore Boston Harbor (WynnBET) drew MGC’s attention for accepting bets on the College Basketball Crown, a non-NCAA-sanctioned tournament, as first reported by InGame.

Caesars took 1,039 bets worth $56,665.39, and Encore accepted 77 bets totaling $5,199 between March 23-31, 2025. Both operators acted before confirming the event’s status with the MGC, which clarified it was unauthorized despite involving NCAA teams.

The cases were sent to the IEB for penalty recommendations. Commissioners expressed confusion over the tournament’s exclusion, noting its similarity to events like the NIT, hinting at possible future rule changes to allow such bets.