There are at least 42 companies that plan to apply for a sports betting license in Massachusetts, giving the Gaming Commission the first indication of the work ahead as it prepares to launch an application and licensing process.
The commission asked in mid-August that any entity interested in seeking a license submit a non-binding notice of intent form by Wednesday to establish an point of contact between the regulators and the companies that could make up a newly-legal industry here.
The commission said Thursday that 42 companies submitted a form, though a submission is not required to eventually apply for a license.
Some of the companies on the list were already known since the state's two casinos, two simulcast centers and one slots parlor have already met with the commission to detail their initial plans for offering legal wagering here. The other companies run the gamut from those with traditional casino gambling ties (Caesars Sportsbook, Bally's Interactive, Rush Street Interactive and Seminole Hard Rock Digital among them) to newer players in what is becoming more of a digital industry (DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet Fanatics, FanLogic and more).
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In addition to the in-person betting licenses and mobile partnerships available to the existing state's gaming centers, the Gaming Commission can also issue up to seven Category 3 licenses that would allow a company to take wagers through a mobile or digital platform. The commission said it plans to hold a roundtable with companies interested in the Category 3 licenses similar to the one it held with its existing licensees.
The responses to the notice of intent form request could inform or influence the commission's decision about how to proceed with the implementation of sports betting in the Bay State as eager bettors clamor for quick action. Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said last month that she thinks "there is a real question about who stands up first": the commission's current licensees that can take in-person bets or the mobile-only operators that aren't necessarily connected to companies the commission is already familiar with.
Here's the full list of entities that submitted a notice of intent form, according to the Gaming Commission: 888 US, Inc. (888 Holdings); Massachusetts NYX Digital Gaming (USA), LLC; American Wagering, Inc. (Caesars Sportsbook); Massasoit Greyhound Association, Inc.; Bally's Interactive, LLC; Mohegan Digital, LLC; BarberTime Media Network, Inc.; Mojo Interactive, Inc. (Mojo); BetFred USA Sports, LLC; Novibet USA, Inc.; BetMGM, LLC; Penn Sports Interactive, LLC ("PSI"); Betr Holdings, Inc.; Plainville Gaming and Redevelopment, LLC ("PPC"); Blue Bet USA, Inc.; PlayStar Gaming Inc.; Blue Tarp reDevelopment, LLC; PlayUp Interactive MA, LLC (Play Up); CG Trading, Inc. (MaximBet); PointsBet Massachusetts, LLC. (D.B.A PointsBet); Commonwealth Equine & Agricultural Center LLC (CEAC); PT Services (Delaware) LLC dba "Playtech One"; Crown MA Gaming, LLC (Draft Kings); RSI MA, LLC (Rush Street Interactive); Digital Gaming Corporation USA; RW BET MA, LLC (Resorts World Bet); FanDuel Group, Inc.; Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC; FanLogic, LLC; SG Gaming, Inc.; FBG Enterprises OPCO, LLC (Bet Fanatics); Sportradar Solutions, LLC; FSST Interactive, LLC (Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe); SportsX, LLC; Fubo Gaming Inc. (Fubo Sportsbook); Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, LLC; G3 Esports, LLC; Unibet Interactive, Inc.; GAN Nevada, Inc.; Victory Game Challenge, Inc.; Hillside [New Media Holdings US] Inc. ("Bet365"); and WSI US, LLC (Wynn BET).
