Massachusetts Gaming Regulators Delay Sportsbook Votes on Various Concerns
The Massachusetts Bay Colony Gaming Commission’s (MGC) reputation for taking its clip inwards voting on consequential topics is well-earned.
The MGC this calendar week is undertaking prelude reviews of Category 1 sports wagering operating license submissions from the state’s troika commercial-grade casinos. After to a greater extent than 10 hours of deliberateness over sportsbook applications from Plainridge Park Casino and MGM capital of Illinois on Tuesday and Wednesday, the five-member MGC opted not to balloting on either tender.
Plainridge Mungo Park is seeking both in the flesh(p) and mobile sports betting privileges, as permitted through and through the Category 1 sports wagering permit afforded to the ternary casinos. The slots-only casino is seeking to bring home the bacon Barstool Sportsbook and Fanatics market place accounting entry inward the commonwealth.
MGM Springfield is also seeking retail and cyberspace sportsbook concessions. The cassino has partnered with its parent operating company’s sports play unit, BetMGM, for its in the flesh(p) and online wagering businesses.
Wynn Resorts and Encore Boston Harbor are on the MGC docket Thursday for its sports wagering review. The gambling casino is seeking commendation to undetermined a WynnBet Sportsbook at the Everett resort hotel and online.
Wynn has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to tether its Category 1 sportsbook license to Caesars Sportsbook to reserve the volume to use up bets online.
Portnoy Problem
Massachusetts gaming regulators soft an regalia of concerns during the agency’s world-class two years of sportsbook application discussions.
In regards to Plainridge, MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein in agreement(p) with dude Commissioners Nakisha Otis Skinner and Eileen O’Brien. They decided that owner-operator Penn Entertainment’s hold in of Barstool Sports and its human relationship with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy raises regulatory concerns.
Though the commissioners referenced the sexual misconduct allegations that make been levied against Portnoy inwards recent years — claims he denies — the authority soft to a greater extent worries over Barstool’s plain deficiency of responsible for(p) gaming protocols. The commissioners said the media and sportsbook outlet seems to encourage irresponsible gaming, which is something that goes directly against a primary quill regulatory mainstay of the MGC.
There is a lot that goes with Saint David Portnoy existence the main marketer of Barstool Sports and the applicant has hitched itself to that fellowship and to that brand deliberately, to me, delving into what that way in terms of suitability, honesty, and unity of the applicant. That bears a discussion by this commission,” O’Brien commented.
The other commissioners agreed and opted to hold voting on Plainridge Park’s Category 1 sports betting license until at least next week.
MGM Also Delayed
The MGC didn’t single come out William Penn and Barstool. The land also opted to forego voting on MGM Springfield’s Category 1 sports wagering application program after the casino informed the tell that BetMGM — non MGM capital of Illinois — would be running the property’s on-site sportsbook.
MGM officials explained that BetMGM is already operating extensively in other extremely regulated markets across the country. Fred Skinner said she didn’t sense well-off moving send on with a ballot on MGM Springfield’s Category 1 sports betting permission until the nation tin can theater of operations additional intragroup documents from BetMGM.
“In terms of a replete(p) rating and advisement of the application, I’m just non prepared to come that today without having the benefit of the reexamine of the BetMGM application,” commented Skinner.
The MGM sports betting voting has also been delayed until at to the lowest degree next week.