Massachusetts sports betting launch deliberations rumble on
Regulator fails to agree timetable for launch in first meeting since enabling legislation passed into law
Officials from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) have failed to set a launch date for retail betting in the Bay State at their latest meeting.
In an almost four-hour roundtable, MGC chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein stated that the Massachusetts regulator would have a better idea of a timescale at its next meeting scheduled for September 8.
Judd-Stein also acknowledged that operators targeting the state are preparing without knowing the official launch date from the commission.
While a start date has not been revealed, it has been suggested that the MGC will pursue a “universal” launch date, by way of a preferable option to the ‘first come, first served’ approach currently being taken in Ohio.
The legislation will allow each casino to offer up to two online sports betting skins, while each state racetrack will have one, and a total of seven licenses are up for grabs.
Among those set to apply are Wynn Resort’s Encore Boston Harbor casino, which will operate with the WynnBet sportsbook; MGM Springfield/BetMGM; and the Plainridge Park Casino, which has partnered with PENN Entertainment’s Barstool Sports brand.
Of the remaining casinos in the Bay State, Raynham Park and Suffolk Downs are yet to announce any partnerships.
Representatives of prospective licensee casinos have expressed their positivity at being able to launch sports betting at their facilities, either through temporary sportsbooks or sports lounges.
At the meeting, BetMGM Springfield VP and legal counsel Augustine Kim said: “MGM Springfield has already expended millions of dollars in constructing a sports betting lounge. We have a cage built out, and we’re all set to go.”
Kim also confirmed that once the regulations have been finalized, MGM Springfield will set launch within 90 days.
Encore Boston Harbor senior VP and general counsel Jacqui Krum said the casino would use a permanent sports lounge that was done in preparation for legalization.
Krum agreed that a universal launch is the best way to go as it would allow for a level playing field for all operators to begin simultaneously. However, she also said that entities would need time to gather all the equipment and pass all the regulatory requirements.
Massachusetts tax rate for land-based and online sportsbooks is set at 15% and 20%, respectively, with a license fee costing $5m for a five-year period.