Bally Bet’s Massachusetts Online Sports Betting Launch Postponed Until July

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) watches a shot by the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter of game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY SportsBally’s planned to launch online sports betting in Massachusetts on June 27The Massachusetts Gaming Commission today revealed the operator still had one outstanding issueIts certificate of compliance meeting will now be held on Monday, July 1

Bally’s has waited more than a year to launch online sports betting in Massachusetts….what’s a few more weeks?

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) today revealed that Bally’s sports betting operator, Bally Bet, will not be launching in the commonwealth on Thursday, June 27, as once planned.

Instead, Bally’s will launch online sports betting in Massachusetts sometime during July after it receives its certificate of compliance from the MGC.

July Likely Launch Month for Bally Bet

Interim Chair Jordan Maynard explained during today’s agenda setting meeting that Bally’s has “one outstanding issue” to take care of before it can launch in the state. The operator was scheduled to receive its certificate of compliance during a meeting tomorrow and launch on the same day.

Instead, the sports betting operator will have its certificate of compliance hearing on Monday, July 1, and likely launch soon thereafter.

Bally’s received its initial category 3 sports betting license from the commission in January 2023, but never launched. It re-upped its temporary license with the commission in January for a $1 million renewal fee.

In March, Bally’s representatives revealed to  Bruce Band, director of sports betting for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, that it was eyeing an online sports betting launch in the state by the tail end of the second quarter of 2024.

The company representatives said the delay was due in part to first focusing on their iGaming launch in Rhode Island.

Discussion on Player Limits in August

The MGC also set a date of Aug. 1 to hold initial discussions on the practice of player limits. This comes a week after the commission members agreed to host another roundtable meeting with sports betting operators to discuss the topic of player limits.

Commission members noted the importance of figuring out exactly what they need to ask sports betting operators to get to the bottom of the controversial practice. Every licensed operator in the state, except for Bally’s, no-showed an initial roundtable discussion of the practice that was set for May.

The MGC will discuss the practice on Aug. 1 and p out exactly the information it wants from operators during the yet-to-be-scheduled open meeting.

Maynard revealed last week that all seven of the licensed sportsbooks in the commonwealth agreed to attend the next roundtable.