Penn Sports Interactive fined over ESPN host’s comments
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has fined the operator for comments made by ESPN host Rece Davis in 2024.
US.- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has fined Penn Sports Interactive $15,000 for comments made by ESPN host Rece Davis during the firm’s College GameDay in March 2024. In discussion with sports betting analyst Erin Dolan before a match between UConn and Northwestern, Davis said that a bet that Northwestern would score under 60.5 points would not be gambling but a “risk-free investment”.
Davis clarified on X later the same day: “During a segment this morning on College Game Day, due to ESPN Bet picks hitting yesterday, I joked the advice was more like “risk-free investing. As we all know, such a thing does not exist.
“Obviously, there are risks. Though I’m not a gambler, I strongly encourage those who do partake, do so with prudence, care, caution, fiscal and personal responsibility and never over-extend. Sports are unpredictable.”
The MGC said it prohibits “advertisements, marketing and branding in such a manner that is deceptive, false, misleading, or untrue, or tends to deceive or create a misleading impression whether directly, or by ambiguity or omission.”
In July, the MGC fined DraftKings $450,000 for allowing players to fund sports betting accounts using credit cards.
