NGC Allows BetMGM To Void $200K In Payouts For Past-Posted Bets

• The Nevada Gaming Control has voided more than $200,000 worth of payout after controversy over parlays made on games that had already started.
• There are no rules or regulations that explicitly address past-posting which has made it harder to settle the issue.
• Two bettors are known to have their bets revoked at this point.

LAS VEGAS – The Nevada Gaming Control board ended an ongoing dispute between BetMGM and dozens of parlay wagers that were won off of baseball games that had already started.

The board decided in favor of BetMGM which voided over $200,000 outstanding parlay bet payouts. The parlays were on KBO League and Chinese Professional Baseball League games at Bellagio in Las Vegas early in the morning on June 28.

The issue came after an error in the start times allowed to a group of bettors to place around 50 parlays on games that were already in play at the self-serve kiosks in the casino.

When gamblers place bets on events that have started it is referred to as past-posting and there are no rules explicitly prohibiting such actions in the house rules in Nevada or in the regulations of the NGC.

Past-posting is not uncommon but is not a huge ordeal when it does occur. With the abnormally large amount of money that is involved in this situation, it has unsurprisingly been tougher than normal to reach a settlement.

“That is not a rule. That is not a regulation,” said Mac VerStandig, a prominent Las Vegas-based gaming attorney. “That is not something that is printed on the wall at any of the sportsbooks.”

The error occurred in the midst of difficult times for legal sportsbooks. The decrease in US sports to bet on caused a surge in alternative options such as betting on international sports which can be difficult for sportsbook employees because of the different time zones.

The parlays included Korean baseball games which are usually played overnight in the US from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.

“This is sort of the perfect storm [for the sportsbook], where you have reduced staffing because of the pandemic,” said VerStandig. “You have international events that are being wagered upon heavily because of the pandemic, and the large potential payouts of the parlays are not raising suspicions because there’s absence of domestic action”

According to ESPN, at least two of the bettors that placed wagers are confirmed to have had their bets rescinded at this time.

News tags: Bellagio | Chinese Professional Baseball | ESPN | KBO League | MGM Resorts | Nevada Gaming Control