Massachusetts reopens sports betting licenses
Table of contents
- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously on April 9 to reopen its sports wagering licensing process for the first time since the market launched in 2023.
- The decision follows a formal request from UK-based operator bet365, which is seeking one of four remaining untethered Category 3 online licenses.
- Potential applicants must file a Notice of Intent with the MGC by May 15, 2026.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has voted unanimously to reopen its sports wagering licensing process, now at the Notice of Intent stage, two years after the state’s online market reached full operation.
The decision follows a formal request from bet365, which is seeking entry into the Massachusetts market.
bet365 eyes Bay State
Justin Stempeck, deputy general counsel of the MGC, told commissioners that bet365 had engaged in extended conversations with commission staff before submitting a formal request.
“We advised that they should send a formal letter, which they did,” he said.
The letter expressed interest specifically in a Category 3 untethered license.
A Category 3 license carries a $200,000 application fee. If awarded, operators pay a $5 million licensing fee for a five-year term.
This is not bet365’s first attempt to enter Massachusetts. The company explored entry before the state launched sports betting in 2023, at one point considering a partnership with Raynham Park, a simulcast wagering facility south of Boston.
The operator has since expanded across 16 US states, most recently launching in Michigan, and is also active in Ontario. A Massachusetts license would give the operator a presence in 17 US states.
Room to grow
Massachusetts law permits up to eight untethered Category 3 licenses, meaning four remain unoccupied. FanDuel, DraftKings, and BallyBet currently hold untethered licenses. BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, and PENN Interactive’s theScore Bet run tethered platforms linked to the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos and racetracks.
MGC Chair Jordan Maynard framed new entrants as a signal of confidence in regulated betting at a time when prediction markets are seeking to offer sports-adjacent products that fall outside the MGC’s permitted scope.
“If someone wants to enter the legal market of Massachusetts at a time when these so-called prediction markets are offering products we would never allow, that does hearten me,” Maynard said.
Divided on timing
Not all commissioners were comfortable with the pace. Commissioner Eileen O’Brien raised concerns about reopening applications before understanding the financial impact of adding new licensees, warning the commission against moving without a thorough economic analysis first.
Commissioner Nakisha Skinner took a broader view, noting that bet365 may not be the only operator to come forward. “It could just be bet365, we could have others coming out of the woodwork. So I’m fine with opening up the process,” she said.
Analysts have pointed to BetRivers and Hard Rock Bet as other potential applicants, though neither has submitted a formal expression of interest.
The Notice of Intent submission window opened April 16 and closes May 15, 2026, with the commission set to outline a full application timeline at a subsequent public meeting. The reopening adds to an active period for bet365 in regulated markets: the operator recently ended credit card deposit options across its US products and was cleared to launch in France ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
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