Nearly a dozen sportsbook operators have already confirmed their interest in a Massachusetts sports betting license as of Thursday.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission asked anyone interested in running one of the 15 Massachusetts online sportsbooks to let the commission know via email. Knowing just how many applicants there might be, especially for the seven competitive-bid licenses, will help the commission with a potential launch timeline, Executive Director Karen Wells said.
Operators still have until Aug. 31 to email to make their interest known.
Who is interested in Massachusetts sports betting?
There are eight B2C brands and three B2B platform providers interested in a Massachusetts license listed on the MGC’s site as of Thursday afternoon:
- 888 (likely SI Sportsbook)
- Bally Bet
- Bet Fanatics
- Betr, the new micro-betting brand announced by Jake Paul
- DraftKings
- GAN (B2B)
- NYX Digital Gaming (B2B)
- Play Up
- PointsBet
- Sportradar (B2B)
- WynnBET
Raynham Park formally submitted its interest as well. Raynham and the other four retail-approved operators were also asked to email even though their participation is expected.
Few expected brands are missing
There should be at least three more brands on that list based on what is known about the Massachusetts market.
Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM and BetRivers should all be on that list by next Wednesday. Barstool is PENN Entertainment‘s sportsbook brand, and BetMGM is the partner of MGM Springfield.
BetRivers parent Rush Street Interactive has not announced who its partner is yet but confirmed it had retail and online market access during its second-quarter earnings presentation from Aug. 4. It is likely either Raynham Park or Suffolk Downs since the access includes a retail sportsbook, but both of the simulcast operators said they had not yet selected partners as of Aug. 18.
The list is also missing other top US sports betting operators like Caesars and FanDuel.
Next steps for Massachusetts sports betting
The three casino operators made it clear at last week’s roundtable that knowing a firm launch date would help them move their launch plans along.
That date was not available last week but could be known as soon as the next meeting on Sept. 8, officials said.
Anyone hoping for legal betting in Massachusetts this year might not want to hold their breath at this point, though. MGM noted it would need about 90 days after learning a launch date before opening, which could push retail openings into the December holiday season.
