BetMGM Among Gaming Operators Fined by Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

A big fine ahead of the Big Game for one of our best sportsbooks.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has approved three consent agreements that result in fines of $282,205 against gaming operators. The largest fine was levied against BetMGM, which was ordered to pay $260,905 in fines for 152 violations involving Pennsylvania's Interactive Self-Exclusion List.

The fines were based on recommendations by the Office of Enforcement Counsel, which enforces regulatory compliance within the state's gaming industry. Under Pennsylvania sports betting law, licensed gaming operators must take reasonable steps to prevent self-excluded persons from creating or maintaining accounts.

However, BetMGM's online gaming platform failed to follow the rule by permitting restricted individuals to gamble.

In addition to BetMGM, two other operators of Pennsylvania sports betting apps were fined for regulatory violations. Rush Street Gaming, the parent company of BetRivers, was penalized $13,800 for failing to submit a required license renewal application for its Chief Financial Officer. 

Meanwhile, Stadium Casino Westmoreland RE, which operates Live! Casino Pittsburgh, was fined $7,500 for using revoked software in 11 slot machines. 

Minors left unattended at casinos

The PGCB also took action against individuals who left minors unattended while engaging in gambling activities. As a result, several individuals were added to or denied removal from Pennsylvania's Involuntary Exclusion List. 

Among the newly excluded individuals was a man who left a 12-year-old child alone in a vehicle twice in a single day outside Live! Casino Philadelphia, totaling 20 minutes. While inside, the individual was gambling in the sportsbook. 

Following the second incident, the unnamed individual was cited for trespassing. The PGCB indicated that he was also subsequently banned for cheating.

Another case involved a woman who left a 12-year-old unsupervised for 26 minutes in the bus lobby of Mount Airy Casino Resort while she played slot machines.

Additionally, two individuals who previously requested removal from the exclusion list had their appeals denied. One of the cases involved a man who, in 2022, left five minors alone in a vehicle for 35 minutes while gambling at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

The second incident involved a woman who, in 2021, left her 14-month-old child unattended inside a locked vehicle several times outside the Valley Forge Resort Casino. According to the allegations, she had been gambling inside for about 11 minutes with outdoor temperatures as high as 88 degrees.

All the issues have resulted in numerous individuals being banned from Pennsylvania casinos.

BetMGM's Compliance Failures in Other Jurisdictions

Beyond Pennsylvania, BetMGM has faced regulatory fines in several states and Canada for various compliance failures. A fine of $146,000 was given to BetMGM in 2022 as a penalty because of a glitch in the software when wagering went ahead of its official launch in Maryland sports betting.

Also, in 2022, BetMGM paid the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) a $37,401 penalty for breaching rules and regulations on advertising and promotion against gambling in the Ontario sports betting market.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission issued a $20,000 fine against MGM Springfield's retail sportsbook in July 2023 for accepting bets on prohibited college basketball games involving in-state teams. Massachusetts law prohibits wagering on in-state college teams unless they are participating in a multi-team tournament.  

In the Indiana sports betting market, BetMGM was fined $2,500 by the Indiana Gaming Commission in June 2024 when an individual was allowed to make wagers through a technical migration error. The operator self-reported the issue and accepted the penalty.