As it prepares to launch sports betting in Massachusetts next week, the gaming commission plans to take a closer look at where regulation could be enhanced to address the players’ association’s concerns about professional athletes, their families and their safety. Field officials, the commissioner said on Monday.
The Players Association, a collective of representatives from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer Players Association, has asked the Gaming Commission to include language in its regulations outlining safety measures for players, family members and others, and Penalties for fans and bettors who threaten them. The group said it was open to options ranging from banning people who threatened to wager in Massachusetts to shutting down all betting on a particular game or sport here.
“I think there is a particular reason why you should seriously consider our request. It’s because this industry, the sports betting industry, is built on player support. It’s no exaggeration to say that the revenue is entirely determined by the performance of the players. generated,” said Steve Fell, special advisor to the NHL Players Association. “However, we’re not here today to ask for money. All we’re asking in the process today is that you think about something that would make things safer and make sports betting better and fairer.”
- read more: Live sports betting to launch at Massachusetts casinos Jan. 31 at 10 a.m.
In a September letter citing specific language it wanted included in Massachusetts’ statute, the group said players it represented “know that they will be targeted by people who are potentially better off losing the sport.” , and importantly, know that members of their family will also be targeted. These incidents have occurred in various parts of the United States and other countries, and they and their families should be protected by Massachusetts statutes.”
In the letter and at Monday’s roundtable, player representatives cited unruly behavior by fans “in which the safety of players was threatened, including one at TD Garden.” The group cited a 2018 Patriots game on Monday The incident in which a fan threw a beer at Tyreke Hill, along with several other incidents across the country.
In 2019, as state lawmakers considered legalizing sports betting here, U.S. attorneys for the state of Massachusetts announced charges against a 23-year-old former Babson College football player from California who sent at least 45 professional and College athletes’ Instagram accounts posted death threats between late July 2017 and early December 2017. The man pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
“People always assume that leagues or teams are best placed to handle some of these issues, for example, in terms of safety. I think we’re in a unique position to explain that they often aren’t, requiring a gentle or strong push from a government agency,” says National Basketball said David Foster, deputy general counsel for the Athletic Association. He added: “When you bet more, you get more nervousness, anxiety and anger. Usually, teams and leagues have some difficulty in enforcing discipline on fans because fans are what drive revenue. motivation.”
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The association and its lobbyists, Preti Strategies’ Jim Eisenberg and Kris Erikson, said they believed it was rare that the gaming commission would have to step in, and that the mere ability of the commission to step in would act as a deterrent in itself.
“I would hope that the chances of you having to close a basketball game at The Garden are slim. However, there needs to be an ongoing dialogue between teams, players associations and venue owners to ensure the safety of players in sports betting, especially Mobile sports betting,” Eisenberg said.
Matt Nussbaum, general counsel for the Major League Baseball Players Association, said a rule allowing the Gaming Commission to disqualify certain individuals from betting in Massachusetts if they threaten players or their families “would encourage Players come forward” when they target the pitch or social media.
Members of the Gaming Commission appeared receptive on Monday, but weren’t entirely sure if they were capable of doing what was asked of them or if they were the best people to fix the problem.
Todd Grossman, the commission’s general counsel, said he’s going to have to “look closely” at the issue, noting that while the sports betting law has language that allows for voluntary self-exclusion, “I’ll have to look at it more closely to see if it’s like The state’s casino gaming laws address involuntary exclusions that way.
“By the way, I’m not aware of any such language, but it certainly exists. But the question will become, if it doesn’t exist, does the Commission have the authority to adopt that language in the statute,” Grossman said. “I think we’re certainly aware of the issue now, maybe we are, but we’ll take a closer look.”
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Commissioner Eileen O’Brien referred to “the conundrum of an industry making money from other people’s actions and hard work”, and the responsibility for their safety and fair treatment.
“The primary responsibility lies with the companies that make that money, and then other companies that make money through the work of the athletes in the first place. So I believe we have a role to play in making sure it’s fair and protecting where we can; there’s a limit . Obviously, our statutory limits are limited to that,” she said. “But I’m glad we had this conversation. I definitely think we need to be as aggressive as possible in our regulations to make sure we have as much impact as possible.”
Fair said he wants commissioners to remember, “Game companies have nothing to do with players. So we have to rely on you and ourselves to do the best thing we can.”
Commissioner Nakisha Skinner said she believed the committee “absolutely should prioritize” the safety of the players, their families and officials, but wanted to wait for Grossman’s more in-depth analysis of whether the committee had the authority to take the steps the players association has taken. Require.
“I believe we’ve done it to some extent, but I think it’s an open discussion to what extent we extend that power. So I look forward to having that discussion with my commissioners,” she said.
- read more: Mobile sports betting license review hearings to begin in January
Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein was the most direct, saying the committee “will be working on the rule language to make sure we can address the safety and well-being of our players” and suggesting that some of the responsibility may be shifted to sportsbooks for awarding the games here. license.
“I think, commissioners, we at least want to get that information out, and then we evaluate the next steps. But the most important thing, in my opinion, is that we make sure that no one in Massachusetts can intimidate officials, families, and athletes themselves. They bet on entertaining the residents of Massachusetts,” she said. “The licensees are given the opportunity to do business in Massachusetts, so they will join us.”
