One sports betting operator wants out of the commonwealth, while another is still holding onto its plans for a grand future entrance.
The Gaming Commission (MGC) today received an update on two licensed, but non-operating, sports betting companies in the commonwealth. Betway and Bally Bet have both been licensed to operate sports betting in the state for the last year, but neither launched in 2023.
Betway has decided it will let its temporary license lapse in February, while Bally Bet is still holding onto plans to launch in the commonwealth this year.
$1 Million License Re-Upped by Bally Bet
Caitlin Monahan, associate general counsel for the MGC, provided updates on both Betway and Bally Bet, the only two licensed operators who have yet to launch in the state.
Bally Bet, she noted, has paid another $1 million to the state to re-up its temporary category 3 untethered sports betting license for 2024. Monahan said Bally Bet representatives have noted they are currently focusing on efforts to re-launch sports betting and launch iGaming in Rhode Island before they turn their attention back to Massachusetts.
Bally Bet shut down operations this summer as it transitioned its sports betting platform to Kambi technology. It has relaunched in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New York, Ohio, and Virginia so far.
An iGaming bill was also approved this past summer in Rhode Island, and Bally Bet hopes to launch its services sometime this year.
The operator is looking to address these two factors prior to focusing on launching sports betting in Massachusetts, Monahan said.
Bally Bet and Betway were two of five operators the MGC approved for category 3 untethered licenses in in late 2022, early 2023. DrafKings, Betr, and FanDuel also received untethered category 3 licenses and have all launched in the commonwealth.
Goodbye Massachusetts, Betway Hardly Knew Ye
Despite being awarded a temporary untethered category 3 sports betting license last year, Betway has notified Massachusetts that it will let its license lapse in late February without launching sports betting in the commonwealth.
The temporary license came at a cost of $1 million for Betway, a sports betting and gaming brand from Digital Gaming Corporation.
Betway is licensed to operate in 10 states, including Massachusetts. It is live in nine of them, as it operates in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Its iGaming services are live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well.
When Betway leaves the states, four operators will remain with untethered category 3 online sports betting licenses. The state can have up to seven untethered Category 3 online sports betting licenses active at the same time.
