MGM Springfield and its online sportsbook BetMGM both received approval Monday for sports betting in Massachusetts.
After several hours of suitability review the Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted 5-0 to approve the casino’s retail application, joining Wynn’s Encore Boston Harbor as the second licensed casino. Then, more than 11 hours after the commission convened, the MGC approved BetMGM‘s license with two conditions.
“We are extraordinarily excited into the not so, too distant future to transition our sports lounge into an extraordinary sportsbook,” said Chris Kelley, president and chief operating officer of MGM Springfield.
In-person MA sports betting is loosely planned for before the Super Bowl. Online sports betting may start sometime before the March Madness Men’s NCAA Basketball tournament, commissioners have said.
Data inquiry at Massachusetts sports betting application review
Monday’s suitability review took place mostly behind closed doors as commissioners opted for several “executive sessions” for MGM officials to answer questions they felt may have compromised their business.
The approval put an end to two days of review, in which commissioners raised concerns about player data sharing between the casino and BetMGM – which its partnered with to eventually launch mobile sports betting.
MGM counsel indicated its retail sportsbooks and online platform share player data. Both are required to protect information on their own servers.
BetMGM approved with conditions
Commissioners agreed, however, that those concerns were more appropriate for BetMGM’s review. That should take place once all three state casinos have completed MGC review and the commission moves on to online applications.
“I think a lot of the questions I had are more BetMGM, not this applicant,” commissioner Eileen O’Brien said.
Commissioners were, eventually, sufficiently happy aside from two conditions that BetMGM agrees to meet, according to O’Brien:
- Provide a vendor diversity list.
- BetMGM “provide timely and ongoing updates concerning any developments connected to the two confidential investigations that were first disclosed to the IEB on 12/16/22 and further discussed in executive session today.”
