The bug involves to Kambi company. Gaming regulators pressed Plainridge Park Casino officials Tuesday on the chain of communication for reporting unauthorized bets on sporting events after a series of illegal wagers were placed at the casino in February.
During the second judicial-like hearing of the day, members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the Plainville-based facility discussed the more than $6,800 in bets placed on a Merrimack College versus Long Island University men’s basketball game on Feb.2.
Commissioners covered a separate illegal bet at Encore Boston Harbor earlier Tuesday and pushed off making a decision on either case until after private meetings are held. Taken together, the two hearings represent the first time regulators have had to determine potential penalties for sports betting licensees.
“We regret this error. We accept our responsibility for it,” Grounsell said. “We ask the commission consider in mitigation our prompt discovery and self-report, our open and transparent communication regarding this instance, and our prompt implementation of a remediation procedure.”
Commission Chief Enforcement Counsel Heather Hall said Plainridge Park Casino “mistakenly offered” wagering on the basketball game because Kambi, a third-party company that helps facilitate sports betting at the casino, marked Merrimack College as a Florida-based school instead of its true location in North Andover.
That allowed the college to bypass “offering compliance filters which were configured to block all regular season matches involving Mass. teams based on their assigned school participant state,” Hall said.
“Kambi reported that they were notified of the error on Feb. 3 at approximately 12:15 p.m. and that they fixed the error within about 10 minutes,” Hall told commissioners. “In addition, Kambi reported that after fixing the error, it further reviewed the matter and confirmed that only Merrimack College was affected and that all other Mass. teams in Kambi’s system were properly assigned.”
A total of 33 bets were placed across 27 tickets, Hall said, and approximately $6,848 was wagered resulting in a total of $4,270 in winnings. Four bets were placed at wagering counters, an over-the-counter-style area where employees interact with patrons, and the remainder were made at kiosks.
