TLDR
- BetMGM will stop accepting credit card deposits for sports betting and online casino play starting March 31 across all licensed markets.
- The move puts BetMGM in line with DraftKings and FanDuel, which already banned credit card funding.
- Several US states including Massachusetts, Iowa, and Illinois already prohibit credit card deposits for gambling by law.
- New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Maine are advancing bills to restrict credit card use in online betting.
- BetMGM was recently fined $100,000 in Pennsylvania over weak identity verification that allowed fraud rings to operate on the platform.
BetMGM confirmed it will no longer accept credit card deposits for online sports betting or casino accounts. The company made the announcement during a regulatory hearing in Pennsylvania.
The ban takes effect on March 31 and applies to every US market where BetMGM holds a license. Cards already linked to accounts will be blocked, and new credit cards will not be accepted going forward.
BetMGM is a joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain. The operator runs one of the largest online gambling platforms in the country.
The decision brings BetMGM in line with DraftKings and FanDuel. Both competitors already rolled out their own bans on credit card deposits earlier.
DraftKings introduced its ban last August. The company said the move would help customers avoid cash advance fees and high interest charges tied to card funding.
That decision came after DraftKings was hit with a $450,000 fine from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Massachusetts law prohibits licensed operators from accepting deposits or wagers via credit card.
FanDuel followed with its own nationwide ban earlier in March. However, FanDuel’s Canadian operations remain unaffected by the change.
Three Largest US Operators Now Aligned on Credit Card Bans
With all three major operators now blocking credit card funding, the practice is quickly disappearing from mainstream US online gambling. The shift reflects growing pressure from both regulators and lawmakers.
Several states already have laws on the books banning credit card deposits for gambling. These include Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont.
More states are moving in the same direction. Legislators in New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have introduced bills targeting credit card use in online sports betting.
Maryland’s House passed its measure unanimously on March 18. Virginia’s legislature approved House Bill 515 and sent it to Governor Abigail Spanberger for signature.
Maine lawmakers also gave final approval to a bill that would ban credit card payments for both sports betting and online casino play. Governor Janet Mills will decide whether to sign it into law.
BetMGM Faces $100,000 Fine Over Fraud Failures in Pennsylvania
The credit card ban comes just days after BetMGM was fined $100,000 by Pennsylvania regulators. The penalty was approved at the state gaming board’s March meeting.
An investigation found that BetMGM had weak identity verification checks on its platform. Fraud rings exploited those gaps to open fake accounts using stolen personal information.
The fraudulent accounts were funded with compromised payment devices. Investigators traced the activity to four separate schemes that ran for months and, in some cases, years.
Together, those schemes generated more than $2 million in unlawful betting. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said the problems pointed to deeper flaws in BetMGM’s control systems.
Regulators stressed that the failures were not isolated incidents but signs of broader weaknesses in the platform’s security.
