Gambling regulations opening up legal sports betting are coming fast to many parts of the United States. They couldn’t come fast enough for some Massachusetts punters though, and now the law has stepped in.

Nine people in the Greater Boston area have now been indicted on charges of illegal sports betting and money laundering. Local news reports that the charges stem from an investigation by the state’s police and the attorney general’s Gaming Enforcement Division. On top of the gambling charges, they’ve also been accused of attempted extortion. It appears that for some losing bettors, there may have been threats if they didn’t pay up. It didn’t help their case that one of the losing bettors was an undercover officer.

The indictments came just days after a bar manager pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling ring, for which he was indicted in 2017.

It’s pretty clear, Bay Staters want to bet on sports, and they’re willing to risk running afoul of the law to get some action. What’s worrisome is when their local bookie is threatening to break some legs to get paid.