Massachusetts regulators require sportsbooks to notify bettors of limits within 48 hours
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has signed off on a new rule that will require licensed sportsbooks to alert customers within 48 hours whenever their betting accounts are limited.
The decision came on a unanimous 5–0 vote after commissioners spent considerable time debating how to make the sports betting market more transparent and easier for consumers to understand. At the center of the discussion was what should count as “timely notice” when an operator restricts a bettor’s activity.
“I believe the recommendation that [Sports Wagering Division Chief Carrie Torrisi] and I had discussed was 48 hours,” staff counsel said during the meeting. “We felt like within 48 hours was reasonable, but looking for your guidance there.”
MGC commissioners quickly rallied around that timeframe. Several pointed out that sportsbooks already have the technical tools to push out account notifications without delay. Commissioner Paul Brodeur said the requirement “doesn’t seem like an insurmountable ask,” while another added that if an operator is preparing to restrict someone’s account, “you’d think there’d be at least a reason to alert the person.”
Brodeur stated that a sportsbook’s response to the proposed regulation was “kind of offensive,” but the comment did not appear to sway the commission’s decision.
As a result, operators will also have to notify customers who are currently limited, even if the restriction happened months ago. The expectation is that sportsbooks will review their books, identify anyone with an active limitation, and clearly spell out what that means for the bettor today.
“I like it because it forces the operators to review today where they stand on some of these limits going forward,” MGC chair Jordan Maynard said, noting that the number of affected patrons should be manageable.
Each time a limit is added or adjusted, a fresh notice must go out. This includes situations where a cap is technically raised but still leaves the bettor below standard limits.
“If they’re limited multiple times, it seems only fair they’re given an explanation for each time they are so limited,” Deputy General Counsel Justin Stempeck added.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission says specific explanations required over sportsbooks betting limits
Commissioners made clear that the quality of those explanations will matter. They repeatedly rejected the idea that sportsbooks could rely on vague language or stock phrases.
“A specific explanation has to be more than just a boilerplate phrase,” Stempeck added. “I don’t believe a specific explanation could just be a two-word phrase that doesn’t provide a patron with any detail about why they’re limited.”
Regulators also dismissed the notion that citing “a business decision” would be enough. “That defeats the entire purpose of this regulatory change,” Stempeck continued.
Instead, the standard will be whether the bettor can reasonably understand what triggered the restriction. “For me, some of the language is: does the patron understand what act or omission on their part triggered the limiting?” Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said. “And if it doesn’t answer that, you have a problem.”
Sportsbooks must keep records of all limit-related communications so the commission can audit compliance. If explanations fall short, regulators said they are prepared to require changes. “If we start getting complaints from patrons that these are not up to snuff, we can tell them to revise their internal controls,” Stempeck said.
The rule takes effect immediately, but enforcement begins June 1 to give operators time to adjust procedures. The move comes as the state’s sports betting market faces renewed scrutiny after March 2025 revenue fell to a six-month low, according to state data previously reported by ReadWrite. Commissioners framed the notification rule as a step toward strengthening consumer trust during a softer stretch for the industry.
“The goal is transparency,” Brodeur said. “Does the customer understand what’s going on in their account?”
Featured image: Massachusetts Gaming Commission via YouTube
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