Massachusetts Online Sports Wagering Moving Forward despite Retail Setbacks
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) confirms that the launch of online sports betting platforms, initially planned for next week, is still on track. Despite the initial mistakes made by the three physical sportsbooks, the timeline remains unaffected.
The first legal sports wagers in Massachusetts history were placed on January 31 at the state's commercial casinos. However, each physical sportsbook confessed to breaching the MGC's sports betting regulations in the initial phase of operation.
The MGC asserts that the regulatory hiccups won't postpone the rollout of online sports betting. The commission aims to hand out seven online sportsbook licenses to firms like WynnBet, BetMGM, Barstool, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, and Betr.
Assuming no unforeseen hurdles obstruct the granting of the online sportsbook licenses, these operators will commence taking online bets from March 10, 10 a.m. EST next Friday.
Three additional online sportsbook operators have been deemed suitable by the MGC for internet gambling – Bally Bet, Betway, and Fanatics. These entities revealed they won't initiate their Massachusetts operations until later in 2023 or early 2024.
College Betting Restrictions Cause Issues
Massachusetts' betting laws exempt college sports from the list of permissible betting events when the game involves a state-based university, regardless of the game location. involved. If a school – like Boston College, for example – is participating, the event is forbidden.
However, there's an exception when the Massachusetts college or university is participating in a tournament involving at least four teams. If Boston College qualifies for the NCAA men's basketball tournament's March Madness (which they won't this year, as the team ranks 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 15-15 record), Massachusetts sportsbooks would be allowed to offer odds on those postseason games.
Each physical sportsbook, in their first month of operation, violated the Massachusetts' college betting rule.
WynnBet accepted illegal bets for about 5 hours on a Boston College women's basketball game that wasn't part of a tournament on February 2nd. Barstool admitted to accepting wagers for approximately 7 hours on a Merrimack College women's basketball game on the same day. BetMGM acknowledged that their oddsmakers accidentally allowed bets on two Harvard University men's hoops games on February 3rd and 4th.
Anticipated Fines
The MGC is figuring out how to enforce penalties against the sportsbooks for the college betting errors. MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein praised the operators for reporting the infractions themselves.
Massachusetts' sports gambling law empowers the commission to impose fines and penalties on rule-breaking sportsbooks, but provides no guidance on the punishment. MGC staff have been researching other sports betting states to ascertain how those jurisdictions penalize regulatory violations.
MGC Chief Enforcement Counsel Heather Hall informed the commissioners this week that other states have imposed fines ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 per infraction. The commission plans to decide its course of action through three separate adjudicatory hearings in the near future.
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