Ready? Set. Wait.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission stated Thursday that it might take months earlier than sports activities betting is up and operating within the Bay State, regardless of a extra optimistic timeline acknowledged by lawmakers who pushed for newly-passed laws that will legalize the apply.
Approved by the Legislature on Monday, the invoice is awaiting motion from the governor, who has till Aug. 11 to signal it into regulation.
“I want the public to understand, as we as commissioners are starting to understand, that this isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight,” stated Commissioner Brad Hill. “I’ve seen some quotes within the newspaper from the general public and others, that they hope to have this factor up and operating in a really, very quick period of time.
“And I just want the public to be clear, at least from my view, I’m not speaking for the whole commission, but from my point of view, this is going to take a little longer than people probably anticipate, and I’m OK with that, because I want to do it right,” he added.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which has been chosen because the regulatory authority for the potential new sports activities betting regulation, laid out a regulatory timeline throughout its assembly Thursday that put implementation at three to 6 months from now when factoring within the typical size of the licensure course of in different jurisdictions.
The Gaming Commission expects that if, or when, sports activities betting turns into authorized, it might be vetting functions for 3 kinds of licenses: in-person retail, on-line, and a separate on-line one for cell operations, in response to Executive Director Karen Wells.
Other elements embody an in depth 225-point regulatory course of, and the background and suitability checks that shall be carried out on all firms, reminiscent of casinos, and the people who maintain management positions in these entities which can be in search of sports activities betting operator or internet hosting operator licenses.
Several commissioners talked about, within the realm of a dialog round vetting candidates and the potential for issuing momentary licenses, that the MGC shouldn’t compromise its integrity or requirements in an try to get the method up and operating extra shortly.
“While we are on it, and we are going to move quickly, we are not going to be lowering our standards in any way,” stated Commissioner Eileen O’Brien.
The fee voted unanimously to create a brand new sports activities wagering division, and Wells stated she is in search of to rent a chief to guide that division.
Should sports activities betting be signed into regulation, MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein plans to convene a roundtable dialogue with the state’s key gaming stakeholders — Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, Plainridge Park Casino, Raynham Park, and Suffolk Downs — to listen to their plans for sports activities wagering.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”