The upcoming meeting will be another attempt by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to hear publicly from sportsbook operators and bettors about the contentious subject of wagering restrictions for players.
Sep 4, 2024 • 13:01 ET
• 2 min read
Get your popcorn ready.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has set Sept. 11 as the date for its next meeting dedicated to the limiting of sports bettors.
Next Wednesday’s get-together will be another attempt by the regulator to hear publicly from sportsbook operators and bettors about wagering restrictions for players, a contentious subject that will ensure the meeting is closely followed.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Interim Chair Jordan Maynard says the regulator will hold a public meeting on sports bettor limiting on Sept. 11.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) September 4, 2024
A roundtable on limiting in May attracted several participants, but none represented active sportsbook operators in Massachusetts. Those companies cited concerns about openly discussing their risk-management practices as a reason for skipping the meeting, claiming those tactics can be confidential and proprietary.
Yet the absences irked commissioners, and the MGC hasn’t dropped the subject since, as the regulators want answers from operators in a public setting. The MGC is required to do most of its business out in the open under the commonwealth’s open-meeting rules for public bodies.
This time around, the MGC expects all of the active Massachusetts sports betting bookmakers to participate. The regulators have also said they will take steps to ensure the conversation remains civil, such as by splitting the meeting up into operator and player segments.
“I’m not interested in having another roundtable just to have the operators come before us to say they can’t talk,” commissioner Nakisha Skinner said during a meeting last month.
The MGC won’t be the only one interested in a fulsome discussion. There are plenty of players — although exactly how many is unclear — who may be limited and want to know more about their situation. Other regulators may tune in as well, to see if there’s anything that could apply to their jurisdictions.
How low can you go
Operators have provided some responses to the MGC on limiting thus far, albeit not during a public meeting for all to hear and see.
Limiting “is both a risk-management practice and a fair play business practice,” was one point made to MGC staff, with operators adding that many limited players “are not your common customer.”
The operators also communicated that “[a]cross the board, a very low percentage of players are limited.”
Those responses may not sit right with players. However, more specific figures could come to light next week when commissioners have a chance to ask questions of their own.
“I expect every operator will engage in this conversation with us,” MGC interim chair Jordan Maynard said last month. “Not hope, expect.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-04 06:04:00
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