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Fanatics Underscoreg Fined 10K For Illegal College Wager

Davis Isabela

Updated as of May 24, 2024 at 10:07 AM EDT • Read time: 1 min 48 sec. Find more information on Twitter and Google News.

Thomas Castellanos of the Boston College Eagles rushes against the Southern Methodist Mustangs as we look at Fanatics Underscoregs fine for violating college football betting laws in Massachusetts.
Thomas Castellanos of the Boston College Eagles rushes against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the second half of the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl on December 28, 2023. Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images via AFP.

Fanatics Underscoreg, a top sports betting site, incurred the wrath of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on Thursday. They were fined $10,000 for accepting a bet on an in-state college team in December.

The regulators and overseers in charge of the almost 40 legal sports betting jurisdictions nationwide are responsible for identifying and eliminating any suspicious betting behavior. Thursday’s announcement regarding sports betting in Massachusetts serves as further evidence that the system is effectively fulfilling its intended purpose.

Fanatics Underscoreg, a recently launched sports betting app in Massachusetts, acknowledged its error and voided the bet on an in-state college team. However, the app still incurred a financial penalty for accepting the illegal wager.

Sports betting operators in Massachusetts have long struggled with betting on college sports, with Fanatics being the most recent site to be caught breaking the rules.

The violation in question

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau identified a $50 futures bet placed on the Fenway Bowl game on December 28th, which pitted in-state team Boston College against Southern Methodist University.

Breaking the Massachusetts rule against betting on in-state college teams, Fanatics Underscoreg was found guilty and ordered to pay a $10K fine. The company claimed that a new employee mistakenly activated the illegal betting market. Visit Fanatics with our Fanatics Underscoreg promo code.

Jordan Maynard, the MGC’s interim chair, stated that the commission’s objective was to establish clear goals and ensure that they were effectively implemented. Maynard expressed satisfaction with the outcome, describing it as great work.

Doing the right thing?

The banned bet took place on December 5th and was discovered prior to the start of the game.

Fanatics discovered the error in accepting the wager on December 6 and promptly canceled the bet. The customer was refunded the full amount of their future bet. Fanatics took responsibility for the error and self-reported it.

Everything occurred long before the game actually happened.

But…

Despite self-reporting its mistake, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission showed little sympathy towards the sports betting provider.

The Commission unanimously voted 4-0 in agreement that a $10,000 fine was appropriate.

Earlier this year, Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts was fined $40,000 for engaging in a similar in-state college wager. All three of the state’s retail casinos have faced sanctions for participating in illegal sports betting activities.

Timing couldn’t be worse

In recent times, there has been significant controversy surrounding college athletics betting, as states and NCAA President Charlie Baker have expressed interest in completely eliminating prop betting on college sports.

This year, Ohio, Maryland, and Louisiana have prohibited college prop betting in their sports betting markets, while New Jersey and North Carolina are considering legislation to do the same.

Montana is the only state that has elected not to prohibit betting on college sports.

Written By:
Davis Isabela
Davis Isabela is the Editor-in-Chief of Underscoreg Review. He has been a writer, reporter and editor for more than 20 years, and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications across North America. His first book, “100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments”, was a hardcover best-seller in Canada in 2008. He has written more than 50 sportsbook reviews and dozens of other sportsbook-related content articles. James has also been quoted as a sports betting expert in USA Today and Sports Illustrated.