BetMGM Confirms Patron Data Breach, Rough Streak Continues for Sportsbook

Posted on: December 22, 2022, 07:53h. 

Last updated on: December 22, 2022, 12:26h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Leading sportsbook operator BetMGM confirmed Wednesday that its online platform was the victim of a data breach that’s believed to have occurred in May.

BetMGM data breach sports betting
Arizona Cardinals fans line up outside the BetMGM Sportsbook adjacent to State Farm Stadium on Sept. 11, 2022. BetMGM announced a data breach of customer account information. (Image: ABC15)

BetMGM is a 50-50 partnership controlled by MGM Resorts International and sports betting behemoth Entain. The New Jersey-based gaming firm operates retail and mobile sportsbooks across the US.

In a press release, BetMGM said some customer accounts were accessed in an unauthorized manner. The sportsbook and iGaming operator explained that personal information was compromised, including patron names, contact information, birthdates, hashed Social Security numbers, account identifiers such as player IDs and screen names, and other information related to BetMGM transactions.

The company said the affected information varied by customer account.

We are taking this matter very seriously and are working quickly to investigate it. The security of our platform and our patrons’ data is a top priority for BetMGM. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt.

BetMGM is operational in Arizona, Colorado, Washington, DC, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Bad to Worse

It’s been a difficult couple of months for BetMGM.

Last month, Casino.org reported on BetMGM receiving an “F” from the Better Business Bureau after customers logged 370 complaints about BetMGM to the nonprofit customer advocacy group over the past year.

December highlighted why some players might be disgruntled with BetMGM’s operations and customer service.

BetMGM this month agreed to a $146K fine in Maryland for allegedly accepting bets before the state gave the online sportsbook the go-ahead to commence operations. Maryland gaming regulators accused BetMGM of allowing bets to be placed on its app inside the state on November 16. The state’s official launch date of legal sports gambling was a week later on November 23.

BetMGM customers in Maryland who placed bets early were refunded their wager. Their accounts were also credited with an additional $50 for the operator’s error.

The fine wasn’t BetMGM’s first. In March, the sportsbook agreed to pay $25K in New Jersey for wrongly taking bets on college sports involving state-based universities and colleges. New Jersey’s sports betting law prohibits oddsmakers from taking action on college games contested inside the state or events including New Jersey universities.

New Jersey voters opted to keep betting on in-state college sports banned during a 2021 election referendum.

Massachusetts Explanation

Massachusetts is poised to become the next state to launch legal sports betting operations. The state’s gaming commission over the past two weeks has been reviewing sportsbook applications for its three commercial casinos and their online sportsbook partners.

Last week, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, in a somewhat surprising move, delayed issuing MGM Springfield and BetMGM their respective Category 1 and 3 sports betting licenses. Commissioners said they needed more information about BetMGM’s internal workings before moving forward.

MGM Springfield had earlier failed to properly file BetMGM’s Category 3 license application with the MGC. The commission granted the casino a rare pass for the regulatory error.

The commissioners voted in favor of both applicants this week.