The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted 5-0 to reopen the state’s sports betting license application process, following a formal request made by bet365 which expressed interest in obtaining a category three untethered license.
Currently, just DraftKings, FanDuel and Bally Bet possess category three untethered licenses in Massachusetts, although four of the licenses still remain available at the time of writing.
“bet365 has engaged in conversations with staff for quite some time as to the appropriate process by which to make a request to the Commission to reopen this particular process,” MGC Deputy General Counsel Justin Stempeck said.
“We advised that they should send a formal letter, which they did.”
The MGC’s vote was also in favor of posting a Notice of Intent to assess the level of interest from additional operators in potentially conducting business in Massachusetts.
In response to the possibility of fellow operators expressing interest alongside bet365, MGC Commissioner Brad Hill stated, “Whoever wants to come forward, feel free.
“And then there’s the process we will go through to see if this is something that will fit for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or not.”
MGC Chair Jordan Maynard added it “makes sense” the Commission is going to “take a look” at the open licenses, especially given the regulator recently celebrated its two-year anniversary since launching online sports betting.
On March 24, the American Gaming Association (AGA) confirmed to Global Gaming Insider that bet365 is no longer a member of the Association, taking after fellow Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) members such as FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook.
FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook chose to conclude its AGA membership following a divide on prediction market operations, prompting speculation as to whether bet365 is entering the high-growth sector.
However, Global Gaming Insider understands bet365 previously had no plans to enter prediction markets before choosing to end its membership with the AGA.
A class action lawsuit filed in Massachusetts against DraftKings moved to class certification, class-wide discovery and trial on February 24, following a denial of the operator’s motion for summary judgement
