The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on Thursday voted unanimously to amended and updated house rules from Fanatics Betting & Gaming (currently PointsBet: A Fanatics Experience) during its full in-person meeting (No. 485 to be exact) in Springfield.
Several minor changes to the Massachusetts Fanatics Sportsbook general betting, basketball and tennis rules were approved such as second-half betting and international FIBA markets, along with accepting odds changes in favor of the customer.
Another vote on ESPN BET’s House rules was removed from the updated agenda of Thursday’s meeting. In a previous agenda released earlier in the week, a 57-page list of rules was included. No reason was given for the removal.
ESPN BET on Agenda Next Week
Next week, another MGC meeting is tentatively scheduled to discuss the proposed switch from Penn Entertainment's Barstool Sports to ESPN Massachusetts sportsbook on the PENN-owned mobile app.
PENN Entertainment announced earlier Thursday during its third-quarter earnings report that ESPN BET will officially launch Nov. 14. The rebranded app represents ESPN’s formal entry into the gambling space. PENN Entertainment operates the Barstool-branded sports book in 17 states, which includes their soon-to-launch legal Massachusetts sportsbook. The switch to ESPN BET will be made simultaneously in each state where PENN operates a Barstool sports book, pending regulatory approvals.
“This strategic alliance is expected to further expand our digital ecosystem and drive re-engagement with the millions of customers in our digital and retail databases, leading to compelling cross-sell opportunities,”said Jay Snowden, PENN CEO, in a statement.
For those in Massachusetts, be sure to consider promotions from other legal sportsbooks, such as the Massachusetts Caesars Sportsbook sign-up bonus.
