MGM Springfield has been fined $25,000 after Massachusetts regulators discovered it casinos once offered betting on college baseball games involving Northeastern University, which is prohibited under state regulations.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved the penalty after determining that betting markets for the April 5, 2025 game between Northeastern and Campbell University were available for about two hours before being identified by regulators. A gambling agent detected the problem after the market went live, according to a recording of the meeting. No bets accepted.
State regulations limit betting on local college teams
Massachusetts allows sports betting on college events in general, but prohibits betting on games involving state schools unless the game is part of a national tournament. Northeastern’s game falls within that limit.
According to The Boston Globe, Commission enforcement counsel Diandra Franks confirmed this at the hearing no bets were placed on the affected markets. He also noted that MGM is cooperating fully with the investigation and agrees with the recommended sanctions.
The incident adds to a history of similar violations involving MGM Springfield. In 2024, the casino was fined $47,500 for accepting bets on two college basketball games involving Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
In a separate earlier case, regulators issued a $20,000 fine after a Harvard University basketball game was mistakenly made available for betting due to a vendor error involving the school’s location data.
This pattern contributes to regulators’ ongoing scrutiny of how the college sports market is configured and monitored.
Wider enforcement across Massachusetts sportsbooks
Other operators also face penalties for similar issues. Fanatics was fined $20,000 after accepting bets on Boston College’s football game against Michigan State in 2024. Regulators said 83 bets totaling $3,325 were placed after internal limits were mistakenly disabled.
One commissioner at the time argued that the penalties were too low to deter repeat violations, and pointed to ongoing compliance failures across the industry.
At the same commission meeting, BetMGM received a separate fine of $7,000 for accepting bets on boxing matches in Saudi Arabia. The bet is then returned or adjusted.
Regulators also approved a one-day extension of MGM Springfield’s liquor license, which allows alcohol sales on the roof of the casino’s parking garage during the July 4 fireworks event.
MGM Springfield continued to operate on a large scale despite intense regulatory oversight. The casino reported 1,655 employees in its most recent quarterly filing, including full-time, part-time and on-call staff.
It also recorded $26 million in gaming grosses in May, up from $24.4 million in April. Across Massachusetts, total casino gaming revenue was about $105.88 million for the month across all licensed properties.
