As of right now, Ohio is one of the early stars of 2023 when it comes to sports betting. On January 1, 2023, the state rolled out the red carpet for interactive wagering, so Ohio is one of the early stars of the year.

Since that time, the authority that regulates gambling in Ohio, the Ohio Casino Control Commission, has levied a number of fines that have now surpassed one million dollars. 

Top 3 Sports Betting Sites For Players From Ohio in 2023

BetMGM is the most recent operator to be taken to task by the regulator, and on Wednesday, they were hit with a fine of $150,000.

According to the OCCC’s decision, one of the companies that will be subject to enforcement action for failing to maintain industry standards in the advertising of their gambling products is BetMGM.

This allegation comes as a result of the OCCC’s finding that BetMGM was among those companies. At the beginning of the year, the governing body said that Barstool Sportsbook, DraftKings, and Caesars Sportsbook were among the other sites that had to pay a similar fine.

The OCCC argued that the aforementioned companies had failed to give appropriate responsible gambling messaging in their marketing and promotional inducements, which meant that gamblers were uninformed, for one, of the various hotline options that were available.

Another issue that the regulator had with the companies, including BetMGM, was what it considered to be a frivolous use of the words “risk-free” and “free.” These words are used to describe wagers that are not necessarily “free” in the traditional sense, but rather require customers to have a second chance with the same money that they have wagered.

Ohio regulator to fine .@BetMGM, .@CaesarsSports and .@DraftKings over ad violationshttps://t.co/LnhlilOxg4 pic.twitter.com/RcqHXslCsp

— Gaming Intelligence (@GamingIntell) January 6, 2023

When she appeared before the commission on Wednesday, the top compliance officer for BetMGM, Rhea Loney, acknowledged and accepted the regulator’s ruling.

“BetMGM takes responsibility that we made an error,” said Loney, assuring that the company is committed to the highest responsible gambling standards in the country. “The company apologized for that error, and they are going to remedy that,” Loney added.

According to Loney, the company has already taken it upon itself to educate its workers on the matter and has communicated with its affiliate partners.

Also, the company has provided training. In order to help spread awareness of problem gambling and make sure that vulnerable customers have access to the right help when they need it, BetMGM has been implementing the British Columbian government’s GameSense program.

Other Sports Betting Operators Also Received Fines

BetMGM is not the only company to receive a monetary penalty in this case. A total of $150,000 in fines was levied against DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM. DraftKings was also forced to pay an additional $350,000 as a result of regulatory anger, and Penn Entertainment was hit with a separate fine, which resulted in the company paying $250,000. Both companies were forced to pay fines.

The operators have acknowledged their wrongdoing and accepted the fines that have been handed down to them in relation to the issues brought up by the watchdog.

This means that the total amount of fines paid by operators in the state of Ohio has already gone over the $1,000,000 mark.

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