It appears the race to obtain a digital sports betting license in Massachusetts won’t be as competitive as first thought.
On Monday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) announced that 12 operators — five tethered to existing casinos, six stand-alone, and one attached to a racetrack — had filed applications. The application deadline with the promise of going live online in early March was Monday. The state’s three casinos — Encore-Boston Harbor, MGM-Springfield, and Plainridge Park — also applied for retail licenses.
Under the new law, the MGC can license up to 15 digital platforms. Each casino is entitled to up to two platforms, the two racetracks are entitled to one each, and there are up to seven stand-alone licenses available.
The expectation was that there would be competition for those seven Category 3 licenses, but as of Monday, Bally’s, Betr, Betway, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet had applied — one less than the seven available stand-alone licenses.