With hours to go until the historic full launch of Massachusetts sportsbooks, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) met Thursday to tie up any last loose ends.
Before its lunch break, the MGC unanimously voted 5-0 on approval of house rules for each of the six legal operators of Massachusetts betting apps set to launch Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
Those providers are:
- BetMGM Massachusetts
- Caesars Sportsbook
- WynnBET
- DraftKings
- FanDuel Massachusetts
- Barstool Sportsbook
This had to be accomplished before certificates of operation were awarded for each and to ensure a full go on Friday morning.
Looking at the Rules
One change in the house rules concerns voided wagers, whether it's for WynnBet Massachusetts or any other legal sportsbook.
The Commission will have the final say on if a wager can be voided if it was placed with incorrect odds or there was human error in the placement of the wager. It also voted in favor of a waiver that will not allow operators to void bets due to a material change in circumstances or an “obvious error” without prior approval from the commission.
During the afternoon session, the MGC voted 5-0 on each of the provider’s Category 3 certificate of operations, the last hurdle for going live.
One provider - Betr - pulled out Wednesday and will focus on launching sometime in April.
“At Betr, it is our priority to give our users the best possible experience while using our app,” a Betr spokesperson said late Wednesday. “As we continue to work to ensure we can deliver that in Massachusetts, we now plan on launching sometime over the next month, rather than this Friday.
“We want to thank the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for all of their hard work and collaboration. This is an important milestone for us, and we can’t wait to bring our differentiated product experience to sports fans throughout the state.”
At the start of Thursday’s public hearing No. 442, MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein thanked the Attorney General representatives for their discussion on the safeguards in place to protect underage citizens and problem gamblers from sports betting advertisements.
First Assistant Attorney General Pat Moore noted that social media regulations on advertising might need to be strengthened in the future.
BetMassachusetts.com – your source for Massachusetts sports betting promos – awaits the Friday launch.
