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On Tuesday morning, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) expanded the field of Category 3 sports betting licensees. Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts got approval for a temporary license from the commission .
Caesars s BetMGM and WynnBet in the Bay State. The day’s activity is not yet finished for the regulatory body.
Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts gets the green light
After about three hours of discussion on Tuesday morning, the MGC’s five voted unanimously to approve Caesars’ license. Caesars is a partner of Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts as far as sports wagering goes.
Category 3 licenses are for online sports betting and applicants who have contractual deals with casinos or race tracks in the state. However, Caesars’ license approval is temporary, meaning it will have to undergo further inquiry at a future date.
Regardless, the licensure should allow Caesars to start taking bets in Massachusetts at the first opportunity. Currently, a preliminary timeline for online sports betting in Massachusetts is March 2023. While Tuesday’s vote puts that immediate situation to rest, there is more for the MGC to do Tuesday.
Regulators approve temporary licensure for Plainridge Park
Later on Tuesday, the MGC approved a temporary Category 1 license for Plainridge Park Casino. That determination followed extensive discussion over the casino’s decision to contract with Penn Sports Interactive for the operation and promotion of its in-person sports wagering operations.
The commissioners attached a condition that investigators would conduct a thorough review of Barstool Sports Inc. in regard to the branding of the retail sportsbook for its suitability. With this decision, all three Category 1 license applications in Massachusetts have been at least temporarily approved.
Commissioners postpone license consideration
The MGC’s agenda for Tuesday also included consideration of Penn Sports Interactive‘s Category 3 license application. Penn Sports has applied for that online license in a fashion similar to BetMGM, Caesars, and WynnBet.
The MGC approved licenses for BetMGM and MGM Springfield on Monday. The same came for Encore Boston Harbor and WynnBet earlier this month.
Because of how the 11-hour day that commissioners put in on Monday and how Tuesday’s evening rolled into the later afternoon, commission opted to postpone consideration of PSI to Jan. 3, 2023. The evaluation of that application will occur on that date.
