Iowa regulators have fined FanDuel $95,000 after the sportsbook agreed it had accepted bets on markets that had not been properly approved, including wagers on the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and soccer props tied to officiating decisions. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved the settlement.
The agreement identified Betfair Interactive US LLC as the operator behind FanDuel Sportsbook and split the penalty into $50,000 for MPBL-related violations and $45,000 for the soccer bets. The proceeds will go to Iowa’s general fund.
Between June 4, 2024 and April 2, 2025, FanDuel allowed customers to place 21,638 MPBL bets worth roughly $1.2 million in handle. Those wagers produced an initial net profit of about $60,000.
FanDuel later offered refunds to customers for their net losses while honoring winning bets tied to the improper activity. On July 9, 2025, it refunded $154,898.99 to 1,665 customers.
Iowa also opened a separate review on July 8, 2025 that uncovered other violations involving yellow and red card wagers during international soccer matches. The review identified one parlay wager of $134.58 related to officiating-dependent soccer card bets, and FanDuel surrendered $44.86 through the state’s unclaimed property process after it could not identify the bettor.
The commission’s approved-wagers document says individual prop bets are not pre-approved unless explicitly stated and that written approval is required before any wager is offered. It lists basketball markets that can be approved, including FIBA Confederations member-country first-tier events, the NBA, the WNBA and NCAA basketball, and soccer markets including FIFA member-association first-tier and second-tier events such as MLS, NWSL and the USL Championship in the United States.
Daryle Olsen of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission said the frequency and scope of violations over a short period highlighted significant issues within FanDuel’s operations, while spokesperson Ben Roth said the company was focused on accountability and was taking steps that included staff training, procedural checklists and automation to prevent future errors.
