The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has revealed that it has received only six applications for the seven available mobile-only sports betting licenses.
By the Commission’s application deadline of 2pm Monday, 21st November, a total of 15 sports betting operators had applied for both retail and mobile sports betting licenses.
According to the Commission, three entities applied for in-person betting licenses — Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor — these are the only businesses that qualify for this particular type of license. The Commission also received applications from five companies who are partnered with land-based casinos — WynnBet and Caesars Sportsbook partnered with Encore, BetMGM partnered with MGM Springfield, and Penn Sports Interactive and Fanatics Sportsbook partnered with Plainridge.
Despite receiving interest from around two dozen companies, only six mobile-only operators applied for the seven available online sports betting licenses.
The six operators that applied for mobile-only sports betting licenses are:
- Bally Bet
- Betr
- Betway
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
Ahead of the closing date, the Commission stated that it could be late March by the time the online industry got underway as it anticipated a large number of applications. However, this could now change. The Gaming Commission hopes to have retail sports betting in Massachusetts fully operational by late January just ahead of the Super Bowl but whether or not online operators will also be allowed to launch at this point remains unclear.
According to Commission records, fees collected on Monday amounted to $3 million.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.