Encore Boston Harbor is once again under the spotlight after accepting yet more illegal wagers at its retail sportsbook.
In recent weeks the company was reprimanded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for allowing illegal bets on a Boston College women’s basketball game. At the time, Encore admitted the infraction and assured regulators that it would address the issue. However, during an MGC meeting on Thursday it was revealed that the sportsbook once again accepted wagers on Boston College basketball games.
Sports Wagering Director Bruce Band said in Thursday’s MGC meeting that the matter is now being vetted by the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau and will be before the commission in greater detail “in the coming week or so.”
The commission is also looking to hold a more in-depth review of similar violations of the state’s new betting law that took place at MGM Springfield.
According to Massachusetts law, wagers on in-state college teams are prohibited unless the team is taking part in a tournament with at least three other teams.
However, Band said that a technical glitch allowed the latest bets to be placed despite the staff turning off a betting catalog that included college games. The glitch meant that the system restarted the catalog and allowed bets to be placed. He also said that Encore has stopped accepting wagers on any NCAA women’s basketball stating that it was the “only way they can stop that from being offered.”
An Encore spokesperson said:
“Through our audits we identified a programming error in the system as it relates to NCAA women’s college basketball markets and are currently working with our provider on a permanent solution. In the interim, we have locked all NCAA women’s college basketball betting.”
In recent weeks all three of the state’s only retail sportsbooks have accepted illegal wagers on college basketball games involving in-state teams.
No fines have yet been issued for the violations as the MGC decides what type of action must be taken. The latest violations come as mobile sports betting in Massachusetts is set for a March 10th launch.
Image credit: Parkerjh / CC BY-SA 4.0
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.