Audit criticizes Massachusetts Gaming Commission over betting ads
Diana DiZoglio, the Massachusetts State Auditor, has criticized the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for failing to review online sports betting advertisements before they reached the public.
The audit, released on 28 August by DiZoglio’s office, examined the commission’s oversight between 2020 and summer 2023.
Seventeen advertisements were found not to include the state’s problem-gambling helpline and there were 51 instances where marketing materials were sent to people younger than 21 or those with gambling addictions.
Regulations in Massachusetts ban targeting minors or using language and celebrity endorsements designed to appeal to them.
Auditors also reported gaps in training for casino staff whose role is to assist at-risk gamblers. Documents were missing for half of the 20 staff members reviewed, and the audit also noted mismanagement of legal settlements with former employees.
DiZoglio called for stronger regulatory oversight, recommending that the commission review all sports betting ads before release.
Thomas Mills, spokesman for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said the agency is implementing the recommendations and has hired an independent auditor to assess operators’ compliance.
Yet, public health advocates have warned that inadequate oversight risks fueling gambling addiction.
“The finding that the Commission failed to take a proactive role monitoring sports gambling advertising in the critical first months of Massachusetts sports betting is a cause for deep concern,” Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University, said, “Potentially dangerous consumer products demand a robust regulatory oversight that was absent here.”
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
