An ESPN commentators off-hand comment about “risk-free” investments again in March of 2024 remains to be ringing within the ears of ESPN Guess executives, and Massachusetts gaming regulators. Late final week Penn Leisure compliance officers bought a grilling from the Massachusetts Gaming Fee (MGC) concerning the overlap between ESPN’s on-air content material and its accountability to comply with Massachusetts gaming laws.
On the coronary heart of the problem was a remark made on-air by Rece Davis through which he described picks from his colleague Erin Dolan as a “risk-free funding”. The remark caught the eye of the MGC, a minimum of partially, as a result of the ESPN Guess compliance staff, led by Penn Chief Compliance Officer Chris Soriano, self-reported the incident.
The state of affairs was compounded in a subsequent on-air remark by ESPN host Pat MCaffee to Davis concerning the remark saying, “there are some regulators which are gonna maintain this towards you.” To say that the MGC regulators took a little bit of offense on the remark is one thing of an understatement.
Chairman Jordan Maynard pointedly requested Soriano if he agreed with the remark, which prompted Soriano to answer, “I gained’t converse on behalf of Mr. McAfee, clearly, however I’ can’ll converse on behalf of myself. I feel the remark known as consideration to the significance of compliance. The context to consider there’s understanding that within the regulated gaming area that statements that lead to a violation shall be ‘used towards you’ in that context shall be proof of a non-compliance state of affairs. I feel that’s truly an vital idea,” in keeping with SBC Americas.
An official judgement, and certain some type of punishment, from the MGC on the matter is forthcoming.
