The list of operators launching online sports betting in Massachusetts on Friday has dwindled to six. During Wednesday’s Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) meeting, the group confirmed that betr is not in the batch of six operators ready to launch on March 10.
Betr launched in Ohio on Jan. 1 but needed an additional two weeks before the app was ready to accept real-money deposits. Now it is delaying entrance into what was supposed to be its second market. The news comes days after betr obtained a license to operate in Virginia.
The exit is the latest in a series of departures and delays in the Bay State marketplace. Bally Bet and Fanatics still plan to enter the marketplace, albeit a couple of months after launch. Betway will not be entering the market until 2024. Bet365 walked back its partnership with Raynham Park to enter Massachusetts prior to the licensing period.
PointsBet moved forward with the licensing process but withdrew its application when it was time to pay the $1 million licensing fee. On its latest earnings call, the company did say Massachusetts could be part of the game plan later on down the line.
When Massachusetts first opened up the application process for online sports betting, the MGC was concerned the group would be overrun with dozens of applications for the 15 available licenses. There were 23 groups that registered their interest in the state.
In the end though, the state drew fewer applicants than licenses available. Now, of those 10 operators approved for a license, only six will be ready to launch on Day 1 of online betting in the state.
