After deferring a vote last week, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted on the fate of BetMGM and MGM Resorts betting licenses. The commission voted in favor of both retail sportsbook licenses and mobile betting licenses for the operator. The BetMGM Massachusetts sportsbook licenses will allow the operator to go live on launch.
MGC Continue To Issue Massachusetts Sports Betting Licenses
The MGM Springfield is now the second casino operator to be granted a Massachusetts sportsbook license. Lawmakers voted following a 10-hour presentation where MGM Resorts and BetMGM explained in detail all aspects of its operation and the benefits to Massachusetts.
Initially, the commission felt they did not have enough information to vote during the Dec. 7 meeting. That meeting saw MGC members opting to defer to a later date to give officials the chance to answer more questions.
The retail sportsbook will launch ahead of Super Bowl 2023. The official date has yet to be set. Lawmakers want Massachusetts sports betting to be available for the Big Game.
The BetMGM online sportsbook won’t be live until early March. The goal for mobile betting is to target the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
“Congratulations to MGM Springfield. Thank you for your application, your interest, and your responsiveness today and on Dec. 7,” said MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein.
Next Steps For MGC
The commission also deferred a vote for Penn National and Barstool Sportsbook. This was due to controversy surrounding Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy. Penn National owns Plainridge Park Casino, the third casino allowed to host a sportsbook in Massachusetts.
Penn National and Barstool will present their case during another MGC meeting. The MGC will also be reviewing applications from Caesars Sportsbook which also saw their application deferred from last week.
Caesars’ relationship with college programs was concerning for the MGC. Caesars has a partnership with the LSU Tigers Athletics which allows advertising at the college stadium. Massachusetts wants more clarification on how Caesars is protecting students from potential problem gambling and underage gambling concerns.
The MGC has a busy few days ahead of it as it reviews applications with the aim of a Q1 2023 launch. There will be more sportsbook approvals incoming from the commission.
