Massachusetts Gaming Commission cancels meeting to discuss sports betting limits

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) had scheduled an agenda meeting for Wednesday to set an official date for a second discussion on sports betting limits. However, the MGC canceled the meeting on Tuesday. Operators told the MGC they would have shown up if the meeting had been for operators only.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission would have held a call-in on remote collaboration technology on Wednesday

The MGC's agenda meeting would have taken place via a conference call using remote collaboration technology, according to the press release. The date for a second discussion on sports betting limits has yet to be set.

A date could be set at the MGC's public meeting on August 15 or at the other agenda meeting on August 21.

The MGC hosted a roundtable discussion on sports betting limits in May, but the majority of industry-leading sportsbooks skipped the meeting. Bally Bet was the only operator to attend the first meeting.

Other betting giants such as DraftKings and FanDuel have already expressed their intention to participate in the second discussion. For the conversation to be productive, operators need to share enough information publicly.

MGC plans to include players’ perspectives in the discussion

DraftKings has publicly stated that betting limits affect less than 1% of bettors, but MGC Commissioner Nakisha Skinner asked for more context on that data.

“I would like to see case studies, if possible, of these circumstances. How did a person come to be restricted? Because we don't know what's happening out there,” Skinner said. “It's about transparency and fairness. What information is provided to the bettor when they are restricted?”

Commission members also want to include players' perspectives in the discussion. Some prominent bettors have been vocal about their displeasure with major betting apps imposing certain betting limits on them without providing any explanation as to why they set those limits.

The MGC is optimistic that the next meeting will provide more transparency regarding the practice of restricting sports betting. In a recent meeting, the Commission hinted that regulations could potentially be enacted to monitor the practice.