Online sportsbooks in Massachusetts are now under observation

Massachusetts Online Sportsbooks Industry

State Officials Keeping Close Eye on Massachusetts Online Sportsbooks

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 20 March 2023

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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Earlier this month, online sports betting finally kicked off in Massachusetts, with six operators entering the market on March 10th.

Many are celebrating the launch of online sports betting in the state, including the operators, the tax office, and sports fans. However, it is reported that state officials are keeping a close eye on operators as they compete to entice bettors to sign up for their platforms.

According to reports, there is particular interest from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which appears to be monitoring the actions of active sportsbooks very carefully. A range of issues was seen in Ohio when sportsbooks tried to entice new customers with a range of questionable practices, which then led to severe financial penalties.

Prior to the launch, Massachusetts’ First Assistant Attorney General Pat Moore highlighted some key points that sportsbooks would be monitored on. These included adhering to consumer protection standards, in-app content, adhering to age restrictions, and monitoring problem gambling signs.

Six Sportsbooks with More to Launch

There are currently six sportsbooks in the state that all went live earlier this month. These are Penn Interactive, WynnBet, Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel. However, there are three more planning to join the foray over the coming months.

Betr is planning to go live with online sports betting in April, while BetFanatics and Bally Bet are scheduled to launch their platforms in May. There will be ten sports betting options in total once all approved operators have gone live.

Naturally, all operators that have gone live or are set to do so in the near future are keen to get as many new bettors on board as possible. However, with state officials keeping a close eye on things, they will be under pressure to ensure no regulations are breached during the first few weeks.

PlayUSA stated:

The launches are exciting for these licensees as they have an opportunity to reach new customers and capture more revenue. They need to tread carefully, however, with how they promote themselves. The state’s top law enforcement agency has made it clear that it is watching.

Retail sports betting in the state went live at the end of January. However, with online betting having gained huge popularity over the past couple of years, many bettors were eager to see the launch of online betting.

A Good Time to Launch

The timing of the launch was ideal for many, as it came just as March Madness was getting started. This meant that the sportsbooks that launched were able to benefit from increased activity, and bettors were able to benefit from greater ease and convenience.

Of course, sportsbooks will now have to deal with the slowdown that traditionally comes at this time of the year, so things will calm down for the next few months.

However, once the football season comes around in the fall, all ten sportsbooks should be up and running. This means that bettors will have plenty of options with regard to which platform they use for their bets.