Massachusetts bans two online gambling sites
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has issued cease-and-desist letters to two online gambling entities that were operating illegally in the state.
Sports betting is legal in Massachusetts, and seven sports betting platforms operate with licenses granted by the state. However, cease-and-desist letters have been issued to Sportsbetting.ag and BetOnline.ag, two offshore sites that had been marketing themselves to Massachusetts residents.
Assistant Attorney General Louisa Castrucci wrote in the letters, “The inducement of consumers to participate in illegal and unregulated forms of gambling by posing as a legitimate business is a violation of state consumer-protection law.”
The two sites offer markets for many popular sports, including horse racing and all the major US leagues. They are believed to belong to an entity in Panama City, Panama, but operate from Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean.
According to the cease-and-desist, the operators are expected to cease operations in the state, as well as refund bets placed by Massachusetts residents. If not, they face fines up to US$5,000 for each violation.
Meanwhile, licensed sports betting in Massachusetts appears to be thriving. In April, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission revealed that sports betting wagers totaled US$676.1 million, up from the previous year’s figure of US$591.5 million.
Dig deeper
Verticals:
Sectors:
Topics:
