Barstool Sportsbook might think it’s a great idea. However, the ” Can’t Miss Parlay” offered at Massachusetts launch raises questions about whether the operator violates state advertising regulations.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy tweeted this afternoon about the promotion offer:
This could be a violation of section B and C of the MGC advertising regulations.
Advertising, marketing, branding and other promotional materials shall not be published, displayed, disseminated or distributed by or for a Sports Wagering Operator.
(a) Encourage irresponsible and excessive participation in sports wagering
(b) To suggest that event betting can guarantee personal, financial or social success.
(c) Promote or imply Sports Wagering as risk-free in general in connection to a promotion or Sports Wagering deal
SBC Americasreach out to Penn Entertainment for comment, but have not received a response at the time this article was published.
A spokesperson for the commission answered questions about whether or not this promotional bet was approved by the MGC before it was deployed.
The MGC does not vet, in the sense that it approves or denies any advertising or promotional content. All operators have read and reviewed the law. They also participated in these meetings and commented on our regulations. This is how it ends. It is up to the operators, their compliance teams, to ensure that they comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Jay Snowden , CEO of Penn Entertainment, did mention this promotional series when he addressed the MGC to defend some of the negative aspects they had heard about Penn Entertainment. Here’s how he explained:
Dan Katz is known as Big Cat. Every week he creates a parlay that can’t be lost. He is also known to be one of the most terrible gamblers on the planet. It’s intended to be humorous. It is not intended to be a push for something or make it seem impossible to lose. It’s common for what you see and hear to be a headline. Or it could be a response to something you don’t fully understand.
Snowden did provide the explanation but that was only part of the larger presentation, which was criticized by at least one commissioner.
This questionable promotion came just days after the MGC was informed by the state Attorney General that operators must avoid misleading and predatory practices.
This is the latest in a series of unfortunate headlines. It includes all three retail operators placing prohibited bets against in-state college team teams, and FanDuel running TV ads that violate state advertising regulations.
