Illinois Gaming Regulators Say BetMGM Rightfully Voided $389,000 in Winning Sports Bets

Illinois Gaming Regulators Say BetMGM Rightfully Voided $389,000 in Winning Sports Bets

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has supported online sports betting operator BetMGM in a grievance lodged by a consumer claiming his successful bets were not compensated. 

In a story reported by Casino.org in April, Chicago native Mark Aiello placed multiple bets on the NBA game held on March 2 between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. Aiello was drawn to bet on six player props about rebounds and assists after observing the lines were very favorable. 

Some of Aiello’s wagers were successful, but upon checking his BetMGM Sportsbook app, the $500 bets he believed had won about $389,000 were marked as voided, and the initial stakes were refunded to his account. BetMGM referenced its house rules, permitting bets to be voided in case of an “evident mistake of inaccurate or exaggerated odds.” 

Aiello submitted a complaint to the IGB to receive his winnings. The state gaming authority, however, supported the online sportsbook, which is authorized to carry out mobile betting in Illinois via its collaboration with Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino. 

BetMGM Correctly Canceled Wagers 

In its order released on June 3, the IGB specified that Aiello made four individual game parlays. Four wagers of $500 were made at odds of +17500, +25000, and two at +35000. 

Approximately an hour later, the BetMGM trading team discovered that the odds were wrong and should instead have been +1860, +2700, +3200, and +3600. Aiello’s four wagers were canceled 11 minutes prior to the start of the Bulls-Pacers game. BetMGM reported the “clear mistake” and the cancellation of bets to the IGB.

"In this case, the evidence demonstrates that a human error led to BetMGM making the pricing available to patrons at a level that significantly diverged from the intended pricing for the March 2, 2025, Bulls-Pacers game. The evidence further shows that the incorrect pricing was not a question of poor judgment by BetMGM in its assessments of likely statistical outcomes, but instead was the result of a specific, identifiable failure by BetMGM staff to follow the necessary and established procedures for pricing updates,” the IGB wrote in its order dismissing Aiello’s complaint.

“This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that all meaningful actions BetMGM took to correct the error occurred prior to the commencement of the subject Bulls-Pacers game. Thus, all evidence is consistent with a good faith effort by BetMGM to correct the human error it made before the game,” the ruling continued.

Pacers Continue to Compete 

Although Aiello’s Bulls did not make it to the NBA Playoffs, the Pacers hold an unexpected one-game advantage in the NBA Finals over the favored Oklahoma City. Indiana won Game 1 in a suspenseful 111-110 matchup. 

Indiana continues to be the underdog in the series. For Game 2 tonight in Oklahoma City, BetMGM has the Thunder as 10.5-point favorites, with the moneyline set at OKC -600 and Indiana +425. 

Oklahoma City remains the series favorite even after losing Game 1 on their home court. The Thunder are at -350 to secure the franchise's first NBA championship since moving from Seattle in 2008. The Pacers have odds of +275 to claim their inaugural NBA title.