Massachusetts Sports Betting Sees First License Approval

Encore Boston Harbor and their WynnBet partner have officially become the first operator to be approved for a betting license by the Mass Gaming Commission.
After receiving a 5-0 vote for the license proposal, WynnBet is expected to launch in Massachusetts during January or February of 2023.

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has approved the first sports betting license through a 5-0 vote, after legalizing online and retail betting in August 2022. This is a category-one betting license.

Now that a license has been approved, legal Massachusetts sports betting is expected to launch before Super Bowl 57, through a January or February 2023 timeline.

Encore Harbor’s Plan for Sports Betting

It was stated during the proposal for Encore Harbor that the WynnBet restaurant/bar that is currently open in Massachusetts will be transformed into a sportsbook bar. This will consist of 29 kiosks and ten betting windows in the bar that can be accessed by all Massachusetts players over the age of 21.

During the hour-long proposal, there was also talk about a system that would allow legal sports betting in the sportsbook bar by scanning wagers from the kiosk or the window before submitting the wager. By doing so, every retail player can take their time to think about the wager, without being rushed by other eager players at the retail location.

Additionally, Joe Zarbano from Encore Harbor explained their innovative plan to create a sports betting kiosk drive-thru experience in the parking garage of the newly renovated bar.

Other Sportsbook Operators Left With no Decision

Encore Boston Harbor casino was the first to be approved for retail sports betting, after the commission decided to hold off on licenses for Plainridge Park Casino and MGM Springfield for the time being.

Commissioner Nakisha Skinner expressed concern about specific details of the other applications and the commission ended up waiting to decide on the companies that have partnered with Barstool Sports and BetMGM. A decision will come next week for their category three licenses.

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Ben Fiore

Ben has been an avid sports fan his whole life and mostly follows football and basketball, both professional and collegiate. He has been covering topics that vary from Super Bowl prop bets to articles about the generated revenue from regulated sports betting. He is currently finishing his Editing, Writing, and Media Degree at Florida State University, with a minor in Business. Diving into the world of sports betting, he is ecstatic to work in an area that has combined his two passions of sports and writing.