The gaming scene in the Bay State continues to capture attention.
We are less than two weeks away from retail Massachusetts sports betting getting underway, with a launch date for in-person wagering set for Jan. 31.
With that news as a backdrop, the holiday season was pretty merry for the three commercial casinos in Massachusetts, who combined to set a monthly revenue record in December.
And in perhaps the biggest development of all, Massachusetts sportsbook apps are set to go online in the state at some point in March, very likely in time for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, aka March Madness.
December a Record Month for Massachusetts Casinos
In December, the commercial casinos in Massachusetts combined for $103,240,719 in revenue. That broke the state record of $102,085,219 that had stood since March, the only other time statewide casino revenue has exceeded $100 million in a month.
Last month’s figure was also an 11.2% increase from the November total of $92,856,384.
The record fell largely thanks to Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, which brought in $68.46 million in revenue to easily set a record for that facility. The previous high there was $64.87 million, also set in March.
MGM Springfield recorded $22.47 million in revenue in December, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. That facility and Encore Boston Harbor offer both slot machines and table games. The third casino, Plainridge Park in Plainville (actually a racino because it has gaming and pari-mutuel racing) has just slots. That location had $12.31 million in revenue last month.
The casinos had $802.64 million in handle for December, the fifth time the three gaming outlets combined for more than $800 million wagered in a month. Encore accounted for $424.3 million in handle for December, followed by MGM Springfield at $201.55 million and Plainridge Park with $176.78 million.
There are no legal Massachusetts online casinos, but there is still a great deal of progress in the state toward making betting safer — thanks to regulation and responsible gaming measures — and more convenient.
Sports Betting in Massachusetts Progresses
Each of the casinos in the state is partnering with a sportsbook operator to offer sports wagering.
MGM Springfield, quite logically, is paired with BetMGM Massachusetts for its retail sportsbook license.
Plainridge Park is joining with Barstool Massachusetts Sportsbook for a Category 1 license.
And the first retail sportsbook to gain approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission was WynnBet Massachusetts, which is also a natural selection because Wynn Resorts owns Encore Boston Harbor.
WynnBet was also the first operator to get approved for a mobile sports betting operation, receiving clearance from the Commission on Dec. 24.
The MGC has spent the past few weeks hearing from each prospective sports betting operator and approving them for licenses, sometimes with conditions.
Stay with BetMassachuseets.com for top Massachusetts sportsbook promo codes as the day Bay State residents can legally wager on their favorite sporting events draws nearer.
