Boxing matches overseen by a controversial governing body have been taken off the legal sports betting menu in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted 4-0 on Thursday to remove the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the catalog of events available for sports wagering in the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts doesn't allow wagering on events overseen by a Russian or Belarussian governing body, or a governing body headquartered in either country.
But MGC staff, citing media reports, said the IBA shifted most of its operations to Russia following the 2020 election of Russian Umar Kremlev as the governing body's president. Kremlev was reelected in 2022 to a four-year term as IBA president.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is weighing the removal of International Boxing Association fights from its sports wagering catalog. That's due to IBA ties to Russia. Betting on events or leagues overseen by a Russian governing body or Russian-HQ'd body not allowed in MA. pic.twitter.com/xRCVCTAsfq
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) August 15, 2024
The recommendation to commissioners was to remove IBA fights from the Massachusetts sports betting catalog because of the state’s Russian wagering policy, which was put in place in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Any outstanding wagers would be canceled and the stakes refunded to bettors.
“The IBA is the last international sports federation still run by a Russian citizen, and the only one to allow athletes from Russia to fight under their flag and play their national anthem,” MGC staff noted in a memo to commissioners. “Additionally, it has been documented that President Kremlev has strong ties and is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
Commission staff also noted that the IBA previously oversaw Olympic boxing before being barred by the International Olympic Committee before the 2020 games (held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). That was due to concerns about the body’s governance, financial management, and integrity.
Furthermore, the IBA was at the center of an eligibility controversy during the most recent Olympics in Paris, which attracted the attention of and closer scrutiny from the MGC.
“A body that looks into this has already raised substantial questions and removed them,” Commissioner Eileen O’Brien noted.
