Massachusetts Casinos Sports Betting

Casinos in Massachusetts Keen to Start Offering Sports Betting

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 27 August 2022

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Officials from casinos in Massachusetts have made it clear to the gaming commission that they are raring to go when it comes to launching sports betting. After four years, sports betting was finally legalized in the state, and casino officials are now eager to get things moving and start taking bets as soon as possible.

Last week, representatives from state casinos met with officials from the gaming commission to talk about dates and timelines in relation to opening their sportsbooks.

Many have suggested that they are ready to get moving and are waiting on regulators to take the necessary steps. The meeting was attended by senior officials from Raynham Park, MGM Springfield, Suffolk Downs, Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino.

Assessing the Preparedness of Potential Licensees

According to reports, one of the key aims of the meeting was to allow the commission to gauge the level of interest and find out whether potential licensees were prepared once licenses start being awarded.

Nearly all the responses from casino and racetrack officials were the same, and they made it clear that they are ready to get moving. Officials from MGM Springfield said that it could have its sportsbook open within 90 days of being awarded a license. The same went for Encore Boston Harbor.

In addition, North Grounsell, the general manager at Plainridge Park, said that a lot of other operational decisions would be easier to make once the commission announced a specific launch date. However, as yet, the commission has been reluctant to do this.

Cathy Judd-Stein, the chair of the commission, stated that there should be more information about timelines at the next meeting on September 8th. She said that this meeting should provide clearer information on how long it might take to sort out sports betting regulations in the state.

Form for Betting License Issued

It was also reported by PlayUSA that the commission has issued a form for interested parties that want to take bets on sports events. The report states that last week the gaming commission:

…issued a form that is of relevance for companies that would like to take bets on sporting events online in Massachusetts. The new law allows for up to seven such platforms to operate independently, plus as many as eight more in conjunction with a casino or racetrack in the state.

By completing the form, companies can express their intent to apply for a sports betting license in the state, and this allows the commission to better gauge the level of interest. Officials will then have a much better idea of how many applications they are likely to receive and how long the decision-making process might take.

Many are hoping that the gaming commission will not drag its feet when it comes to getting sports betting up and running. For some, watching the state legislature take four years to get things sorted was a frustrating process, and many are keen for the gaming commission to now work swiftly to get sports betting launched.