- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission may request more data from licensed sports betting operators regarding player limitation
- The commission wants to know how many players are limited, if they’re limited after winning, or losing?
- After evaluating the provided data, the commission may recommend new regulations for the practice
Massachusetts regulators wants answers from the commonwealth’s licensed sports betting operators as to how they limit players, how many of their players are limited, and if winning/losing rates have anything to do with how patrons are limited.
The Massachusetts Sports Wagering, Legal, and Communications Divisions received approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to circulate a data request to the state’s seven licensed sports betting operators to determine exactly how many of their sports betting customers are limited on on their platforms.
The data will potentially lead to new regulations regarding Massachusetts player limitations in the future.
MGC Wants Answers on Sports Betting Limitations
The data request’s being sent to sports wagering operators will seek answers as to how many patrons are currently being limited in the commonwealth. The request will ask for specific player data to determine the percentage of players being limited, how many players are being limited that exhibit winning behavior, and how many players are being treated at VIPs and exhibit losing behavior.
After analyzing the data, the division will identify problem areas and remedies the MGC may take moving forward. These could result in new regulations designed to address the issue of limiting patrons, such as requiring that operators notify patrons when and how they’ve been limited on their platforms, implementing reporting requirements to the MGC regarding patron limitations, and requiring that operators established clearly defined protocols used to limit patrons.
“A review and analysis of the data will presumably show us the volume of patrons being limited and whether, and to what extent, a correlation exists between one, a patron whose limits have been decreased due and who exhibits winning behavior, and two, a patron whose limits have been increased and exhibits losing behavior,” Carrie Torrisi, Sports Wagering Division Chief, told the MGC.
The MGC unanimously agreed to the plan. The data requests will be sent to operators in the next several weeks.
Roundtables Fueled Plans
Today’s course of action stemmed from two roundtables the MGC hosted with sports betting customers, industry experts, responsible gaming advocates, and sports betting operator representatives in the commonwealth.
Originally, the MGC only planned to host one roundtable on the subject in May. However, all of the sports betting operators (excluding Bally Bet) no-showed the first meeting, which necessitated the second meeting held in September.
Over the course of the three-hour roundtable in September, operators stressed that limiting users is more about curtailing a very small percentage of customers from taking advantage of the sportsbooks while being able to safely offer a high number of markets to its more casual bettors.
Faced with claims that operators limit users based sorely on how much they win, sports betting operator representatives said the decisions are more nuanced. Responsible gaming factors, certain patterns of behavior, capitalizing on sportsbook errors, and other signs of trying to gain an advantage over the sportsbooks factored into decisions to limit patrons, most sportsbook representatives noted.
Most also claimed that a very small percentage of customers receive limitations. Alex Smith, senior vice president for regulatory compliance for Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said more than 90% of winning customers on the platform have not been limited in any way.
Among the users who have been limited, Smith said more than half were “net losing” at the time.
“The notion that if you win you’ll be banned is not statistically correct,” he said.
Despite the claims, the sportsbooks presented no official data to back this up. The MGC’s data requests will likely shine a light on just how many patrons are being limited and the factors that have gone into the decisions to do so.
Massachusetts is taking steps to ensure that sports betting operators in the state are implementing responsible gaming measures to protect players from potential harm. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently announced that they are seeking data from sports betting operators on player limitations, as part of their ongoing efforts to promote responsible gambling practices.
The commission is requesting information on how operators are monitoring and enforcing player limits, such as daily, weekly, and monthly deposit limits, as well as limits on wager amounts. They are also interested in learning about any tools or features that operators have in place to help players set and adhere to their own limits, such as self-exclusion options or time limits on gameplay.
This move comes as Massachusetts prepares to launch legal sports betting in the state, following the recent legalization of the activity. With the potential for increased gambling activity, the commission is keen to ensure that operators are taking the necessary steps to protect players who may be at risk of developing gambling-related problems.
By collecting data on player limitations from sports betting operators, the commission aims to gain a better understanding of how operators are approaching responsible gaming practices and identify any areas where improvements may be needed. This information will help inform the commission’s regulatory efforts and ensure that players in Massachusetts have access to safe and responsible gaming options.
Overall, Massachusetts is committed to promoting responsible gambling and ensuring that players are protected while participating in sports betting activities. By seeking data on player limitations from operators, the commission is taking proactive steps to safeguard the well-being of players and promote a healthy gaming environment in the state.
