Conditional approval

Barstool Sportsbook has finally gotten the all-clear for an online sports betting license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). The decision to award the license came following much questioning and debate on Wednesday.

tethered to the Penn-owned Plainridge Park Casino

Penn Sports Interactive (PSI), the operator of Barstool Sportsbook, has its online license tethered to the Penn-owned Plainridge Park Casino. A number of conditions are in place for the online license, such as Barstool having to comply with an extensive suitability investigation and detailed background check.

The Massachusetts Investigation and Enforcement Bureau will be in charge of these checks once Penn Entertainment completes its acquisition of Barstool Sports next month. Barstool Sports also has to take steps to make sure that only people who are at least 21 years old attend any of the Barstool Sports College Football events. Some of the other final conditions relate to workforce diversity goals.

Passing all questioning

The MGC has now approved four online tethered sportsbook licenses over the past week. The online sportsbook for Barstool Sports is expected to launch in the coming months.

During the MGC meeting on Wednesday, commissioners asked questions relating to various aspects of Barstool Sports’ activities, including social media content relating to gambling losses and the operator’s responsible gambling strategy, particularly in relation to its approach to marketing. Barstool Sports has a reputation for having a lot of followers who are not yet old enough to legally place sports bets in Massachusetts.

Getting Massachusetts sports betting live

The MGC has been busy over the past couple of months putting in place rules and regulations for the state’s upcoming sports betting sector. It has been busy reviewing license applications, having received 15 applications in total. Each of the three commercial casinos in the state has gotten approval for retail sportsbook licenses.

the current plan is for a March launch date

The expectation is for retail sportsbooks to be able to open by the end of January. It is still unclear as to exactly when online sportsbooks will be able to go live, but it appears the current plan is for a March launch date. The goal is for online sports betting to be available in Massachusetts in time for the start of the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament on March 14. It is one of the biggest sporting events each year for US sportsbook handle.