Gaming regulators discussed setting a “soft launch” for in-person sports betting at the three casinos in Massachusetts on Jan. 30, 2023, and a full launch the next day, which, if the schedule holds, would make wagering options available to residents days before the Super Bowl.
It is the first time the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has placed firm dates on the launch of sports betting in the state. All three casinos — Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino — have been approved in some form to offer in-person sports betting at their facilities.
And even with the new dates, regulators and commission staff made clear that they are heavily dependent on whether Gaming Labs International, a wagering equipment testing company, can inspect and verify kiosks and points of sale at each of the casinos.
The commission previously said they would launch in-person sports betting in “late January,” and it appears they will take every single day of that month to stand up the industry.
The commission did not take a vote on the two dates Thursday afternoon, and the meeting adjourned shortly after a heated discussion between Commissioner Nakisha Skinner and Chair Cathy Judd-Stein.
Skinner said she was unavailable from Jan. 25 through Jan. 30, which means she could not visit any of the casinos during the “soft launch.” She pushed the commission to set a Jan. 31 “soft launch” and a Feb. 1 full launch.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
