Bally’s Eyeing Summer Massachusetts Online Sports Betting Launch

Feb 28, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the Bally Sports logo and NBA basketballs during warmups before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Indiana Pacers the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsBally’s COO Brett Calapp noted the operator is hoping to launch by the end of JuneBally’s has held a Massachusetts sports betting license since the start of 2023The company re-upped its license in January 2024

Bally’s may finally have a window to launch online sports betting in Massachusetts for the first time despite holding a license for more than one full year.

Bally’s Chief Operating Officer Brett Calapp revealed during today’s Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting that the operator is hoping to launch online sports betting in the commonwealth by the end of June.

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 earlier this year for a $1 million renewal fee.

Bally’s Committed to Massachusetts

Despite not launching for more than a year, Calapp assured the commission members that Bally’s is still very much committed to the state.

“Our commitment is strong here. We are really excited to be in the state. This is a state with such a rich sports history, and such a history of legendary players, legendary teams, and sports is such a big part of this culture,” he said.

There should be no barriers for Bally’s to launch online sports betting by the end of June, Calapp said.

The operator is currently working through the necessary regulatory hurdles to launch in Massachusetts, he said.

In January 2024, Bally’s paid another $1 million to the state to re-up its temporary category 3 untethered sports betting license for the year. When they applied for the license, company representatives noted they would first focus on launching iGaming in Rhode Island before they turned their attention back to Massachusetts.

Rhode Island iGaming launched in March.

The commissioners welcomed the news, but stressed that Bally’s needs to be open about its launch process. Commissioner Eileen O’Brien asked Calapp to provide regular updates on Bally’s launch process to allow the commission to be “nimble” and deal with any potential hurdles.

New Sports Betting Market Approved

In other news, DraftKings petitioned the MGC to approve the Pro Volleyball Federation for the state’s event catalogue.

The Pro Volleyball Federation is a professional women’s indoor volleyball league in the United States. It was formed in November 2022 and currently has seven teams.

The MGC unanimously approved the request to allow wagers on the league. O’Brien said she was pleased to see another professional women’s league being offered in the state, but encouraged any members of the federation to contact the commission directly if they had any concerns about the league or event outcomes, as the federation does not have a player’s association.