Massachusetts Sports Betting License Competition Will Be Stiff

• More than 40 entities submitted “notices of intent” for a Massachusetts sports betting license
• The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will use the notices as a tool to gauge interest in sports betting
•  No date has been set to award Massachusetts sports betting licenses

Not that it was ever in any doubt, but the competition for a Massachusetts sports betting license is shaping up to be a stiff one.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission today reported 42 entities submitted “notices of intent” to operate sports betting in the Commonwealth. The final deadline to submit a notice was Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Major Players Looking to Massachusetts

Most major sports betting operators submitted notices of intent to the gaming commission. The commission will use the notices as a tool to gauge the interest in the state’s retail and online sports betting program.

Operators who did not submit a notice of interest will still be able to submit a sports betting application to the state. DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, Bet Fanatics, WynnBET, BetMGM, Barstool Sportsbook, and Bally Bet were among the operators to submit notices. Offers to new users like Barstool Sportsbook promos will likely be some of the best in the industry.

As per the state’s sports betting bill, each of the three Massachusetts casinos will be able to offer up to two online sports betting skins, each state racetrack will have access to one, and seven untethered online sports betting operator licenses will be up for grabs. That’s a total of 15 online sports betting licenses for 42 potential applicants.

The untethered licenses will likely be a hot commodity, as most of the state casinos already have established partnerships with operators.

Here’s the full list of notices from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission:

BREAKING: 42 entities submitted "notices of intent" for a Massachusetts sports betting license to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. They're as follows:

-888 Holdings (Sports Illustrated)
-Caesars Sportsbook
-Bally's
-BarberTime Media Network
-BetFred
-BetMGM

(cont).

— RLinnehanXL (@RLinnehanXl) September 1, 2022

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will next meet on Thursday, Sept. 8, and will hopefully have more information on a potential roadmap to Massachusetts’ retail and online sports betting launch.

Sports Betting Partnerships in the State

There are three casinos in the state and all three have partnerships with online operators already.

• Encore Boston Harbor (WynnBET)
• MGM Springfield (BetMGM)
• Plainridge Park Casino (Barstool Sportsbook Massachusetts)

Raynham Park and Suffolk Downs have yet to announce any partnerships.

While a timeline for retail or online sports betting has yet to be announced, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will likely institute a “universal launch” strategy for retail sports betting on the suggestion of the operators. The commission will reveal a start date that entities can begin offering retail sports betting and any or all approved operators will be able to launch at that time.