The Indiana Gaming Commission have agreed to a settlement with Penn Sports Interactive’s (PSI) Barstool Sportsbook following two disciplinary proceedings regarding sportsbook conduct.
The first count outlines that on May 14 2021, the vice president of compliance for the PSI sportsbook notified the Commission to state that PSI was planning to open its mobile sportsbook in Indiana on May 18 2021.
The Commission’s director of sports wagering then notified PSI that the responsible gaming section of its website did not include updated responsible gaming language.
The VP responded to say that this issue extended to the terms and conditions and the house rules. Following an investigation, PSI revealed that its terms and conditions, responsible gaming and house rules policy documents were not yet in production.
This meant that mobile application patrons had to accept blank terms and conditions, with 3,972 patrons impacted.
Section 68 27-5-3(b) of the Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) states that house rules must be clearly displayed in a sports wagering lounge, on the sports wagering operator’s website, and included in the terms and conditions of the sports wagering account.
The second count related to a TikTok video posted by a junior member of Barstool’s social media team, featuring a discussion on gambling losses. It live for 12 hours, but was removed once Barstool’s social media manager became aware of the video.
However, it was reposted on Twitter by a third-party social media account and therefore remains viewable online.
Section 68 27-2-11 (b) (2) of the IAC stipulates that sports wagering operators are responsible for the actions of its employees.
The employee was suspended without pay for one month and all employees received a refresher course in responsible gaming the following day.
The settlement will see PSI pay the Commission $5,000 for Count I and $7,500 for Count II.
In paying the $12,500, PSI will waive all rights to a judicial review and the Commission will not seek further legal action.