Colin A. Young-State House News Service
BOSTON, Mass. (SHNS)–Massachusetts bettors will have a new option for placing wagers online come Tuesday, when Bally Bet launches almost a year and a half after state regulators initially cleared the company to enter the legal betting market here.
The launch of Bally Bet at 11 a.m. Tuesday will bring the universe of mobile betting platforms operating in Massachusetts to seven, joining BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, and FanDuel in operation here. Two companies, Betr and WynnBet, operated here for about a year but have since chosen to remove themselves from the Massachusetts legal betting landscape.
Brett Calapp, the chief operating officer of Bally’s North America interactive business, thanked the Gaming Commission for its help getting the company through a process that had some bumps in the road. Commissioners voted 4-0 Monday to grant Bally’s its certificate of operations.
“I think the thoroughness and collaboration and communication from your guy’s group was of the highest and most professional level. And as an operator, I think that’s really, really appreciated to have that type of cohesive communication during the licensing journey, because it is complex and there’s a lot of moving parts to it and there’s a lot of people involved,” he said. “We’re super excited to go live in Massachusetts, a state with such a rich sports history, a state where sports is part of the fabric of the community. And we can’t wait to participate in the entertainment, the fun and excitement of sports in your state.”
Bettors can also place wagers in person at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, though bets placed at physical sportsbooks generally account for less than 2 percent of the total betting activity here each month.
Bettors wagered $587.26 million on sports events in May, according to the most recent data from the Gaming Commission. That resulted in about $57 million in taxable gaming revenue for operators, almost $11.5 million of which is due to the state in taxes. DraftKings dominates the market, taking in just more than half of all action in May.
Since legal betting began here in early 2023, the activity has generated approximately $149.18 million in total state taxes and assessments, the Gaming Commission said.