The gaming law and MGC regulations require the establishment of a list of  individuals banned from Massachusetts casinos

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) today launched a list of individuals who have been involuntarily excluded from Massachusetts gaming facilities. This casino ‘Exclusion List’, which includes an individual’s name and year of birth, is now available on MGC’s website MassGaming.com.

General Law chapter 23K, section 45, and 205 CMR 152 require the Gaming Commission to establish a list of persons who are to be excluded or ejected from licensed gaming establishments in Massachusetts.  The list consists of persons who have violated or conspired to violate laws related to gaming, cheats, willful tax evaders, individuals whose presence in a licensed gaming establishment would adversely affect public confidence and trust in the gaming industry, and persons whose presence in a licensed gaming establishment poses the potential of injurious threat to the interests of the Commonwealth.  No person shall be placed on the list of excluded persons due to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, or gender.

The Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) is responsible for identifying individuals whose presence in a Massachusetts casino poses a potential threat to the integrity of gaming or to public confidence in gaming in Massachusetts.  Before placing a person on the exclusion list, the IEB ensures that the individual meets the necessary criteria under the gaming law and regulations for the involuntary exclusion. The IEB then alerts that individual of their excluded status and provides the individual with an opportunity to request a hearing. The individual has 30 days from the date of the notice to request a hearing. If a request for a hearing is received by the individual, an impartial hearing officer will preside over a hearing to review the circumstances. If the hearing officer determines that the individual meets one or more criterion for inclusion on the list, the individual’s name will be placed on the exclusion list. If the hearing officer determines that the individual does not meet the criteria, the individual will not be placed on the list and the matter is closed.

The Massachusetts casinos are required to exclude or eject any person on the Exclusion List.  A failure to deny entry or eject an excluded individual from the gaming property would result in a potential violation of non-compliance for a Massachusetts casino.

An excluded individual who gains entry to a gaming facility would be required to forfeit winnings and would also be subject to arrest for trespassing.

Identifying individuals who require placement on the excluded persons list is an ongoing process for the IEB,  and the list will be routinely updated.