Chicago – March 20, 2025
Mark Aiello, a military veteran who recently transitioned to civilian life in the Chicago suburbs, placed several bets on a basketball game through the BetMGM sports betting app on March 2. Aiello made four $500 wagers on specific player performance statistics—rebounds and assists—during a matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. The combined odds of his bets were approximately 350 to 1, making a win highly unlikely.
Despite the low odds, Aiello’s bets initially appeared to be successful, resulting in a potential payout of $389,000. However, shortly before the game began, Aiello discovered that all his bets had been voided in the app. The wagers were canceled prior to tipoff, effectively erasing any record of the bets and the associated winnings.
Aiello expressed frustration and confusion over the situation, stating that he had received no explanation for the cancellation from BetMGM.
Later their lawyer called and said, “We’ve decided to pay your bets out in full,” Benton said.
What changed? The media asked BetMGM multiple times about both “obvious error” cases, but never got a straight answer.
He did learn that the company and other sports betting operators do have to explain “obvious errors” to the Illinois Gaming Board if a customer files a complaint — which Aiello did.
As he waits for the state to investigate, Aiello is toying with the idea of giving up sports betting for good — because this has all taken the fun out of it.
