March 1, 2023
A few weeks ago we reported that the launch of Massachusetts mobile sports betting would come in time for March Madness. Well, the first games for the NCAA Men’s Tournament start on March 14th. Mobile bets in the state are scheduled to go live on the 10th, beating the deadline by mere days.
There are several operators who have already forked over the $1 million licensing fee to the state Gaming Commission, and they have the approval to launch at the approved time. Those operators are BetMGM, Barstool Sports, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, WynnBET, and Betr.
There are a couple of operators who will miss the March 10th Massachusetts mobile sports betting launch. Those are Bally Bet and Fanatics, who are hoping to go live in May. Betway expects to launch, but not for another year. Then, both PointsBet and bet365 have decided not to participate in this market.
Of course, sports betting in the Bay State has not been without it’s problems. Just last week we reported that three major operators ran afoul of the states betting ban for in-state college games. There are also concerns that the market may not be big enough to support this many betting apps.
In any event, what’s done is done at this point. Massachusetts mobile sports betting will be live beginning the morning of March 10th, and state residents will be able to place bets on the NCAA basketball tournaments… just as promised.