MGM Springfield has been fined $25,000 after Massachusetts regulators found that the casino briefly offered wagering on a college baseball game involving Northeastern University, which is prohibited under state rules.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved the penalty after determining that betting markets for an April 5, 2025 matchup between Northeastern and Campbell University were available for around two hours before being identified by regulators. A gaming agent detected the issue after the market had gone live, according to a meeting recording. No wagers were accepted.

State rules restrict betting on local college teams

Massachusetts allows sports betting on college events in general, but prohibits wagers on games involving in-state schools unless they are part of national tournaments. The Northeastern game fell under that restriction.

According to The Boston Globe, Commission enforcement counsel Diandra Franks confirmed during the hearing that no bets were placed on the affected market. She also noted that MGM cooperated fully with the investigation and agreed with the recommended sanction.

The incident adds to a history of similar violations involving MGM Springfield. In 2024, the casino was fined $47,500 for accepting wagers on two college basketball games involving Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In a separate earlier case, regulators issued a $20,000 fine after Harvard University basketball games were mistakenly made available for betting due to a vendor error involving school location data.

The pattern has contributed to continued scrutiny from regulators over how college sports markets are configured and monitored.

Broader enforcement across Massachusetts sportsbooks

Other operators have also faced penalties for comparable issues. Fanatics was fined $20,000 after accepting bets on a Boston College football game against Michigan State in 2024. Regulators said 83 bets totaling $3,325 were placed after internal limits were mistakenly disabled.

One commissioner at the time argued the penalties were too low to deter repeated violations, pointing to ongoing compliance failures across the industry.

At the same commission meeting, BetMGM received a separate $7,000 fine for accepting wagers on boxing matches in Saudi Arabia. The bets were later refunded or adjusted.

Regulators also approved a one-day extension of MGM Springfield’s liquor license, allowing alcohol sales on the casino’s parking garage roof during a July 4 fireworks event.

MGM Springfield continues to operate at scale despite regulatory scrutiny. The casino reported 1,655 employees in its latest quarterly filing, including full-time, part-time, and on-call staff.

It also recorded $26 million in gross gaming revenue in May, up from $24.4 million in April. Across Massachusetts, total casino gaming revenue reached approximately $105.88 million for the month across all licensed properties.