North America

Massachusetts‘ gambling regulator has proposed a new regulation that would make the state the first in the U.S. to require sportsbooks to inform their users when and why their betting activity has been limited.

At a meeting on Thursday, Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) Deputy General Counsel Justin Stempeck presented commissioners with two options for the language of a new rule aimed at changing how sports betting operators approaching limiting players. Commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of putting forth a proposal that, if ultimately approved and enacted, would require legal sports betting operators to notify players that their activity has been limited, and explain why.

The proposed change will be opened up for public comment and hear from operators, other stakeholders and the public on the proposal. After feedback is reviewed and potentially incorporated, a formal commission vote would be required to officially adopt it.

“We are the first jurisdiction to take up this issue,” ..

NCAA President and CEO Charlie Baker said that Kalshi’s apparent intent to offer sports event contracts on which college athletes will enter or withdraw from the transfer portal is “absolutely unacceptable.”

Kalshi filed for self-certification of the transfer portal contracts, as well as markets on whether a player will transfer to a team within a certain time period, to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Tuesday, as first reported by InGame.

The filings stated that the contracts, which would be settled based on “public announcements”, including players’ social media and other channels, would initially be listed on Dec. 17.

A surefire route to integrity issues

Baker responded to the news on Thursday with a strongly worded statement on social media site X.

“The NCAA vehemently opposes college sports prediction markets,” Baker wrote. “It is already bad enough that student-athletes face harassment and abuse for lost bets on game performance, and now Kalshi wants to of..

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has dropped the puck on a new partnership with the Ottawa Senators that focuses on increasing awareness of and access to responsible gambling resources for hockey fans in Canada’s capital.

The Canadian independent non-profit organization’s prevention messaging is now featured during the NHL team’s home games via in-arena activations and digital signage at the Senators’ Canadian Tire Centre arena.

The RGC and the Sens are also running a social media campaign and contest across Ontario and Quebec. The council sponsors a “Great Saves” in-game feature at select home games, provides content through the team’s social media channels and offers promotional contests designed to engage fans while also sharing responsible gambling information.

Meeting sports fans where they’re at

The partnership runs through June 2027, with the option to extend.

“Sports and sports betting are increasingly connected in today’s entertainment landscape,” said RGC CEO Sarah McCarthy. “This partnership allows us to reach people when they’re getting in the game with their team, in those moments when emotions are running high and provide them with practical information about how to keep gambling safe and enjoyable.”

“The Ottawa Senators organization is excited to partner with the Responsible Gambling Council,” added the Senators’ VP of Corporate Partnerships, Martin Ballard. “This collaboration supports our commitment to fan wellbeing and aligns with our core values and beliefs.”

RGC signs up roster of sports partners

The RGC has worked with regulators, operators, treatment providers and other stakeholders for decades to promote safer gambling in Canada and beyond. Its work is rooted in evidence-based research and emphasizes prevention education and access to supports.

It has added the Senators to a group of sports partners that also includes Toronto sports ownership conglomerate Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts, as well as the NFL.

The RGC also recently struck a deal with the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) to develop a first-of-its-kind U.S. certification for responsible online gaming. ROGA’s eight members include bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, theScore owner PENN Entertainment and Bally’s, all of whom are operational in Ontario’s iGaming market. Its other two members, Fanatics Betting and Gaming and Hard Rock Digital, are exploring possibly expanding north of the border.

BetMGM has invested in making Canadian NHL phenom Connor McDavid one of its most visible ambassadors, and the iGaming operator unveiled its latest campaign with the Edmonton Oilers captain this week.

The online sports betting and online casino giant launched a new responsible gambling TV ad spot featuring the three-time NHL MVP alongside player-turned-actor Terry Ryan. The commercial is currently airing in the U.S. and Canada, as well as on various digital platforms.

The commercial titled “Mullet Over” was directed and produced by New York-based creative agency CAPE, in collaboration with BetMGM’s creative and responsible gambling teams.

McDavid’s star power reaps reward

BetMGM has worked with former NHL MVP McDavid since before Ontario’s regulated iGaming market opened in April 2022. When he signed on as an ambassador for the MGM Resorts International and Entain joint-venture operator, he was the first active player in a major U.S. professional league to endorse a regulated North American sportsbook.

BetMGM said the new commercial will build on the success of its 2024 responsible gambling ad with McDavid, which the operator said led to a notable increase in use of BetMGM’s responsible gambling tools.

Following that campaign, BetMGM reported a 38% year-over-year increase in Ontario players’ usage of deposit limits and a 55% jump in players in Ontario using stake limits.

Now, it’s hoping a new commercial will continue that impact.

“Filming the ‘Mullet Over’ commercial with Terry was a fun opportunity to combine hockey humour with a meaningful message,” said McDavid of the newly unveiled ad. “It’s important to stay in control, and BetMGM’s tools and resources help customers do just that.”

Ontario-facing ads must be RG-focused

BetMGM also counts the NHL’s ‘Great One’ Wayne Gretzky, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter and Hollywood stars Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm among its brand ambassadors.

Whereas BetMGM uses that roster of stars as brand-wide ambassadors across its numerous U.S. markets, even tying their names and likenesses to specific games in some instances, it has to take a narrower approach in Canada’s regulated iGaming province.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s (AGCO) regulations stipulate that celebrities including active or retired athletes cannot be used in advertising and marketing “except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices.” In August 2023, the AGCO announced it would ban the use of athletes in broader online gaming advertising and marketing in Ontario, a change that came into effect in February 2024.

Ontario also has a requirement that operators must spend a certain percentage of their annual gross gaming revenue on RG-specific messaging.

So, BetMGM’s stars, as well as other gaming ambassadors like BetVictor’s former Toronto Raptor Tracy McGrady, Betway’s French soccer icon Thierry Henry and Bet99‘s Canadian UFC legend Georges St-Pierre are used purely to talk about the responsible gambling tools offered by the companies they represent.

“Our new campaign with Connor and Terry builds upon our approach to deliver an entertaining and memorable responsible gambling message,” said BetMGM Director of Responsible Gambling Richard Taylor. “We’re committed to finding new and creative ways to reach customers and encourage them to ‘mull it over’ before they place a bet.”

Hockey hook-up could work well in Alberta

Meanwhile, as Alberta continues to inch slowly towards launching its own commercial iGaming market, BetMGM leaders know that the brand’s association with McDavid and Gretzky may stand it in good stead in the western province.

BetMGM VP of Canada Scott Woodgate told Canadian Gaming Business in mid-2024 that the company believes Alberta can become “a key omnichannel market” for the operator.

We’ve obviously gotten into business with a couple of guys from Alberta, so we see the appeal,” he added at the time. “It’s a dynamic province, it’s a good-sized market, there are strong incomes, a young and growing population, it’s a great hockey market. It checks a lot of boxes.”

BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt added a few months ago that, with the company one of the top operators by market share in Ontario, it is primed for success in Alberta.

“Alberta is an area that should play to BetMGM’s strength given its operations in Ontario,” he noted on an April 2025 earnings call. “That should be a province where BetMGM really does flex its muscles, given the strength of our business in Ontario. So we’re really excited, really optimistic for Alberta.”

Lawmakers in New Jersey heard from both sides of the argument regarding a proposed bill to ban in-game prop betting, or micro-betting, in the state. However, since the hearing was only informational, so far, the Assembly has not taken any action on the matter.

Bill would ban in-game wagers on events like baseball pitches

Rep. Dan Hutchinson kicked off the hearing by explaining his measure, A 5971, which he introduced last month amidst a torrent of controversies related to match fixing in professional and collegiate sports. The bill would eliminate the bets and impose a fine of between $500 and $1,000 on each wager taken. There is a companion bill in the New Jersey Senate with the same text, S

Hutchinson recalled some experiences he shared interacting with those who have dealt with problem gambling as well as voiced his own thoughts as to why he thinks the matter is an issue worth legislating.

“As I watched the Eagles play yesterday, I was shocked to find that gambling ads were bak..

NCAA President Charlie Baker has been outspoken about the impact of legal sports betting on its student-athletes, but the organization is also having to consider another vertical.

Baker sat down with Yahoo! Sports to discuss the legal sports betting industry and how the NCAA is responding to recent gambling infractions across sports and the steps the organization is taking to protect its student-athletes. Baker also discussed the growing popularity of prediction markets and how the NCAA perceives the emerging platforms.

Easy access to online wagering changed the game

Since the overturning of PASPA in 2018, the NCAA has worked to develop and implement a framework that protects student-athletes from gambling-related harm and ensures the integrity of competition. However, the rapid pace of growth and the accessibility of online sports wagering impacts how the NCAA sets a standard related to regulated gambling.

“I don’t think anybody was anticipating that it [legal sports betting] woul..

Notch another one in the win column for DraftKings, as Southern District of New York Judge Denise Cote dismissed a class action lawsuit against the sportsbook over its promotions.

After prevailing in a similar lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York in July, Cote’s ruling drew many of the same conclusions as the judge drew in that case. Both cases observed that there were clear opportunities for the plaintiffs to read the terms of service surrounding the $1,000 deposit bonus and the “No Sweat” bet, so they cannot argue that DraftKings was misleading in how these offers were presented.

Plaintiffs didn’t have a specific DK ad in mind

Cote also pushed back at the suit because the plaintiffs could not point to the exact advertisement the plaintiffs had seen. The plaintiffs tried to argue that didn’t makker because all of the ads are relatively the same, but Cote said a specific example is necessary in order to state a claim.

She went into more detail on other elements of the case, ..

The NCAA investigation into sports betting violations at Fresno State led to the discovery of similar infractions at another California university.

Former University of San Francisco men’s basketball guard Marcus Williams was found to have violated the NCAA’s rules related to sports betting by knowingly providing information to a third-party for gambling-related purposes. Williams shared information with former Fresno State men’s basketball player Mykell Robinson, who was dismissed from the university and ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA for manipulating his performances during games to win bets.

The NCAA initiated an investigation into Williams after their probe into Robinson revealed communication between the two players. The communication included Williams providing information for Robinson to wager on him.

Robinson leveraged daily fantasy sports accounts to place bets on Williams. The NCAA did not disclose which gaming platform Robinson used to place the wagers. NCAA ga..