It’s official. Massachusetts has established a launch date for legal and regulated sports betting in the state. Retail sports betting will go live in Massachusetts on Jan. 31. This will guarantee that the people of the state will be able to legally wager on the Super Bowl, although they will miss the AFC and NFC Championship Games scheduled for Jan. 29.
Originally, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission suggested that the launch date for retail sports betting would be taking place sometime in late January. A deadline for the launch of betting online and through mobile sports betting apps is projected for sometime in March of 2023.
Legal sports betting will begin with a soft launch at the three brick and mortar casinos granted sports betting licenses – MGM Springfield, Plainridge Park and Encore Boston Harbor. This will be an invite-only affair with guests being selected by the host casinos and the licensed sports betting companies – BetMGM, PointsBet MA, WynnBET and Caesars MA.
Members of the MGC will also be in attendance during the soft launch to assure that everything works properly and that all rules and regulations are strictly followed.
“That includes just basically having real life testing with parties,” MGC executive director Karen Wells told wcvb.com. You may remember this from the casino launches where they would have staff and invited guests only be allowed to bet,” Wells said. “Historically, they’ve assigned a commissioner to go to the property when they’re doing the soft launch or the test night … and then that commissioner would make sure everything was in order and sign off for the launch the next day.”
The MGC plans to have commissioner Jordan Maynard attend Plainridge Park’s launch. Commissioner Brad Hill will be the observer at MGM Springfield, while commissioner Eileen O’Brien will be the MGC representative at the Encore Boston Harbor soft launch.
Software testing partner Gaming Labs International will also be on hand to assure that all the necessary technology to operate sports betting is in proper working order.
“That’s significant that it has to be dependent on that,” Wells said. “GLI, their whole business is based on integrity, so they cannot pass over any kind of issue with respect to the equipment.”
