The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) has issued fines to BetMGM and Fanatics sportsbooks after the companies allowed players to place bets while on a voluntary self-exclusion list. The betting operators reported the issue to the regulator, and both sportsbooks have agreed to pay the $2,500 fines they were given.
In the summer of 2023, BetMGM transferred its platform onto a single wallet system, allowing players to share funds in their BetMGM accounts across all U.S. states where the operator is licensed. Additionally, it switched from a state-by-state self-exclusion system to one integrated system across the U.S.
Due to an account not migrating properly, an Indiana player who was on a voluntary self-exclusion list was able to create a new BetMGM account in October. Between Oct. 25 and Jan. 11, the BetMGM player deposited $310, wagered $443, and withdrew $107.50. BetMGM closed the account on Jan. 11 and reported the incident to the Indiana Gaming Commission on Feb. 2.
The Fanatics breach came when a player with a year-long self-exclusion starting Dec. 4 got access to his account as Fanatics transitioned its platform from PointsBet. The customer got back into the account, deposited $1,300, and made bets worth $3,208 before Fanatics noticed the error and suspended the account on March 24. The sportsbook also refunded the $1,100 the player had remaining.
Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined Fanatics for offering bets on a state college football bowl game. State laws prohibit bets on college teams unless they are playing in competitions with four or more team entries, and bets were offered on games that didn’t answer the criteria.
Zivhas been deep in the iGaming trenches for over 20 years, long before most people could spell "geolocation compliance." With a background in marketing and business development at some of the biggest names in gambling tech, Ziv knows the industry from the inside out. Since joining Covers, he's turned his sharp eye (and sharper keyboard) toward everything happening in the fast-moving world of online gambling. Whether it's new state launches, the latest twists in regulation, or what the big operators and game providers are cooking up next, Ziv breaks it all down with clarity, context, and just the right amount of snark. He covers the business side of betting, from affiliate trends and revenue reports to the tech powering your favorite slots. His motto in writing is “let’s make it make sense without putting you to sleep.”
When he’s not tracking gambling legislation or looking for the next breaking story, Ziv is living and dying with every pitch and play from his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. As a Pitt graduate, it’s a city loyalty forged in heartbreak, but one he wouldn’t trade for anything, except maybe a few more playoff wins.
When away from the keyboard, Ziv loves to hit the road and soak up the energy of casinos. Whether strolling the neon jungle called the Vegas Strip, or wandering into a smoky riverboat casino in the Midwest, Ziv’s in his element. He’s the guy chatting with players, blackjack dealers, and asking pit bosses way too many questions, all in the name of “research,” of course. The casino floor isn’t just his workplace, it’s a weird and wonderful ecosystem of flashing lights, wild characters, and pure sensory overload, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
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