SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Online sports wagering begins on March 10th at 10 a.m. in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state attorney general’s office raised concerns to the Gaming Commission. Representatives with the office testified before the Regulatory Board that current regulations that will govern the launch of mobile sports betting do not do enough to protect consumers in the state, particularly the most vulnerable to problem gambling.
Most of their specific issues are related to advertising and promoting the launch of a potentially addictive product. The AG’s office is worried that gaming operators arn’t being mandated to protect at-risk populations from those potentially manipulative ads and promotions.
The gaming commission agreed despite that, mobile bets will launch with all those promotions and endless ads Friday morning.
Former Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill on August 10, 2022, to legalize sports wagering in Massachusetts. Sports wagering licenses are split into 3 different categories:
- Category 1 is for land-based casinos
- Category 2 for the state’s horse racetrack facilities
- Category 3 is for fully online sportsbooks
Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has approved temporary licenses for Category 3 sports wagering to the following operators:
- BetMGM
- BallyBet*
- Barstool Sportsbook (Penn Sports Interactive)
- Betr
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- Fanatics*
- FanDuel
- WynnBET
*BallyBet and Fanatics will not be launching their products until May 2023. Digital Gaming Corp (Betway) told the MGC that they also plan to submit a request for a temporary license but they will not launch in the state for approximately one year.
The economic benefits of sports betting to the state include a 15% percent tax on in-person wagering and 20% via mobile apps.
