Entain’s Mistakes Cost BetMGM A$33,000

Ben H / 31 March 2022

BetMGM was fined A$33,000 (US$25,000) for an inadvertent mistake made by an Australian Entain employee and an error made by Entain’s trading team. New Jersey bettors were allowed to wager on in-state collegiate games on both occasions, and that’s illegal in the Garden State.

The Rutgers University Game

The Australia-based employee created a pre-made parlay that New Jersey punters could bet on. However, he wasn’t aware that the combo bet he compiled also included a Rutgers University game.

Rutgers University is a college team from New Jersey. And betting on New Jersey college teams is not allowed at NJ bookmakers. Unfortunately, the person working for the owner of Australian bookies Ladbrokes and Neds didn’t know that Rutgers played its home games in the Garden State.

The pre-made parlay was available for eight hours. That’s the time bettors had to include it in their bet slips before BetMGM realized their mistake and removed it from their website.

However, even though only two punters included the pre-made parlay in their bet slips, wagering a total of A$40 (US$30), BetMGM had to pay the A$33,000 fine.

The Niagara University – Marist College Game

Another incident which BetMGM has been reprimanded for by New Jersey gaming authorities also involved college teams. It also involved Entain employees.

This incident took place on March 10, 2021, ten days before the Australian Entain employee made the parlay blunder. It happened during the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament and involved the teams of Niagara University and Marist College.

That game was played in Atlantic City in New Jersey, so it was considered an in-state college game, meaning New Jersey punters weren’t allowed to bet on it. However, once again, Bet MGM and Entain failed to notice that.

BetMGM blamed Entain for the error, saying that it was the London-based company that checked the location of games while creating the markets. The oversight could have been avoided, as it is mandatory for the Entain trading team to manually check the location of all games. They didn’t do that.

Punters Wagered Only A$130 in Total on Both Games

Interestingly, just like the Rutgers University match, the Niagara University – Marist College game didn’t attract a lot of interest from NJ bettors too.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said that in the two incidents for which BetMGM was fined, the bookmaker accepted less than A$130 in wagers. In other words, NJ bettors wagered abound A$90 on the Metro Atlantic Conference tournament game and A$40 on the Rutgers University match.

Nevertheless, BetMGM will have to pay the A$33,000 fine for accepting wagers on in-state collegiate teams. And it’s all because of a series of unfortunate events that could have been easily avoided if Entain employees checked and double-checked the betting offers and markets they were creating.

Read more betting news here.

Looking for a new betting site? Check out our reviews of the Best betting sites in Australia.

Take the Quiz to find out which betting site is the best for you.

The verdant surroundings and rustic ambience of Warwick Farm lend a distinct racing charm. While racing takes held on 23 Wednesday afternoons, the Australia Day race meeting in January is the main event. The racecourse is at the centre of a community that ...

The Warrnambool Racecourse is located in the suburb of Warrnambool, in a picturesque valley with great natural viewing platforms. Warrnambool Racecourse is around 260 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD.

Terang Racing Club, sometimes known as the Flemington of the Bush, has a long and rich history of racing in the southwest. The expansive course was designed by the same person who created the Flemington track. The facilities include a well-kept, vast grandstand with a...

Swan Hill Racecourse is located in the centre of the Murray Region, 340 kilometres from Melbourne.Swan Hill Racecourse June racing festival has earned a name for itself as the best country festival in the state, if not the entire nation. The advice is to book as soon as ...

Sale Racecourse has first-rate facilities, including a wholly climate-controlled Public Bar and Grandstand Bar open on race days.The take pleasure in being a community club that includes our surrounding townships. Because of their family-friendly ambience and specific ...

Ben H
Ben Harris is the Communications Manager for KRUZEY, an AFL expert, and writer. He has one daughter that he loves dearly and four children's books... [Read full bio]

Comments are closed.

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au