Throughout the month of December, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held numerous meetings with applicants for Sports Wagering Operator Licenses. Going into the New Year, the Commission has taken action regarding all three Category 1 License applicants and three tethered Category 3 License Applicants associated with a Category 1 Licensee.

>> LEARN MORE ABOUT SPORTS WAGERING IN THE COMMONWEALTH

The Commission awarded a Category 1 Sports Wagering Operator License to Encore Boston Harbor (EBH) on December 8, 2022, following a presentation by EBH’s representatives and a review of the application submitted by Wynn MA, LLC. The Commission also awarded a Category 1 Sports Wagering Operator License to MGM Springfield on December 19, following its presentation and application review.

Commissioners also voted unanimously on December 20 to find Plainridge Park Casino (PPC) preliminarily suitable for a temporary Category 1 Sports Wagering Operator License.

Recently the MGC announced that, pending successful technical testing, the public launch date for retail sports wagering at the three licensees would be on January 31, 2023. This meets the goal set in October to launch retail sports wagering in late January.

>>MEETING ARCHIVES FROM THE MGC

The Commission also took action in December regarding three applications for Category 3 Sports Wagering Operator Licenses tethered to Category 1 Licensees.

WynnBET was awarded a Category 3 Sports Wagering Operator License following a unanimous vote by the Commission on December 13. WynnBET’s license will be tethered to EBH’s Category 1 License. Commissioners put conditions on the awarding of WynnBET’s license, including that it provides the MGC with information on the company’s current vendor diversity statistics and that it establishes goals on diversity spending in advance of operating sports wagering in Massachusetts.

BetMGM was found suitable for a temporary Category 3 Sports Wagering Operator License following a unanimous vote on December 19. Its license would be tethered to MGM Springfield’s Category 1 License. Conditions were placed on that vote requiring BetMGM to provide timely and ongoing updates regarding any developments to two confidential investigations first reported to the IEB on December 16, 2022. Additionally, BetMGM must provide the MGC with a vendor diversity list.

The Commission also voted unanimously to find Caesars Sportsbook suitable for a temporary Category 3 Sports Wagering Operator License on December 20. Its license would be tethered to EBH’s Category 1 License.

WynnBET, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook are all now eligible to request temporary licenses to conduct sports wagering while full suitability reviews are undertaken by the MGC. The MGC set a goal to launch online/mobile sports wagering in March 2023. Review of additional Category 3 applicants to be tethered to a Category 1 license as well as untethered Category 3 applications are scheduled for January 2023.

All entities awarded licenses must also obtain certificates of operations and meet additional conditions before they can accept wagers on approved sporting events.