Although most public attention and media reports reflected the work that has recently been done by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on the implementation of legal sports betting services in the state, the local gambling regulatory body has many other important matters pending before it, such as two applications for horse racing licenses approaching a mid-November deadline and a bid for a Hardwick-based racetrack both of which would help Encore Boston Harbor expand its gaming presence in the state, along with a request to cease its heightened scrutiny on the corporate culture of Wynn Resorts.
Chair Cathy Judd-Stein has recently confirmed that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is facing a major challenge with its schedule, as it is under pressure to finally make a move on the legalization of sports betting in the state after local lawmakers failed to do much for years. At the same time, the state’s gambling regulatory body is trying to navigate through the legalization of legal sports betting, while at the same time keeping its focus on some issues with racing casino gaming that were already on commissioners’ minds even before the proposal to legalize sports betting was made.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s chair shared there was a lot of work that had to be done, some of which was dictated by firm deadlines. Ms. Judd-Stein asked the Commission’s members to be flexible when it comes to their availability for meetings and the amount of time that needed to be spent on reviewing the materials before public meetings take place.
Next Massachusetts Gaming Commission Meeting Scheduled for October 12th
For the time being, the meeting of the Commission which is scheduled for October 12th, is expected to cast light on the status of the sports betting implementation work of the state’s gambling regulatory body, as well as on its timeline for launching legal sports betting in Massachusetts. The Commission will not only discuss the potential launch dates of sports betting in the state, it could also decide whether to make the application that will be used for betting licenses that are set to become publicly available in the near future.
As mentioned above, the upcoming changes for Encore Boston Harbor have been among the hottest topics that are set to be discussed by the members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
As revealed by the chief of community affairs of the regulatory body, Joe Delaney, Encore Boston Harbor and patent company Wynn Resorts have brought some changes to their proposal for development across Broadway from the Everett casino.
Back in March, the state’s gambling regulator ruled that the first phase of the development is set to connect the new development to the $2.6 billion casino that started operation in 2019. The 999-seat live entertainment venue, the restaurant space of 20,000 square feet, a 400-foot pedestrian bridge that will connect the development to the old establishment, and the 2,200-space parking garage are not planned to be part of the official gaming establishment, which is why they would not fall under the regulatory body’s jurisdiction or oversight.
