Do you believe in miracles, Massachusetts?
During public meeting No. 425 on Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) went over the last hurdle and approved all six "untethered" Category 3 mobile sportsbook license applications.
The process of reviewing the Massachusetts sportsbooks by the MGC has been on-going since Jan 6.
After discussion of process and another afternoon executive session, here is the vote breakdown for all six applicants on the approval of temporary licenses (in alphabetical order):
BallyBet: 5-0
betr: 4-1 (Commissioner Eileen O'Brien votes no)
Betway Sportsbook Massachusetts: 5-0
DraftKings: 5-0
FanDuel: 5-0
PointsBet MA: 5-0
Jason Robins, CEO and Chairman of the Board at DraftKings, responded to the news in a statement.
“We are thrilled that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has awarded DraftKings a mobile sports betting operator license in our home state of Massachusetts,” he said. “We want to thank Chair Judd-Stein, Commissioners O’Brien, Hill, Skinner and Maynard and the MGC staff for their hard work and diligence . . . We can’t wait to introduce our fellow Massachusetts sports fans to our No. 1 preferred mobile sportsbook in the near future, pending regulatory approvals.”
(Make sure to look on BetMassachusetts.com for the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code when sports betting goes live.)
Retail sportsbooks will launch in 12 days (Tuesday, Jan. 31) at Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino, with a universal time of launch to be discussed and announced by the MGC’s next meeting on Friday at 11 a.m.
Other Sportsbooks Tied to Casinos
The six approved Thursday will join five other sports betting providers that have been approved (Category 1) to operate that are tied to three Commonwealth casinos: BetMGM, Barstool Sportsbook Massachusetts, Caesars Sports, Fanatics and WynnBET Massachusetts.
“I look at this entire process as a partnership with these companies that may get a license,” said Commissioner Brad Hill before the executive session. “Each applicant gave us their experience or a vision of what they wanted to see moving forward.
“The responsible gaming piece of this was very important to me as was the diversity. Those two issues are very important to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, so important that the legislature chose to put them in the bills to make sure it was addressed by the Commission.
“All the applicants put forward very responsible plans for responsible gaming and the diversity piece. I was very impressed with all the applicants — that they were hearing us and that it would be addressed in the appropriate way.”
Other Business on Agenda
Besides the time launch discussion/announcement during Friday's session, the MGC's Legal Division will discuss sports wagering regulations. That conversation is expected to cover: sports wagering advertising, continuing disclosure and reporting obligations of sports wagering licensees, surveillance and monitoring, play management, temporary prohibition from sports wagering and the withdrawal of an application.
The meeting also will cover sports wagering implementation and will continue the review and approval of the state's sports wagering events catalog, as well as floor plan approvals.
Mobile betting, which brings Massachusetts betting apps into action, is expected to begin in early March, before the start of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament. No time or date has been determined for launch.
Massachusetts sportsbook promo codes are one of many reasons to stay close to BetMassachusetts.com.
