Penn’s Barstool Sportsbook Granted MA Online Sports Betting License

Penn State Interactive (PSI) became the fourth online gambling operator to obtain a license to offer mobile sports betting in Massachusetts in a unanimous vote of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). After weeks of public meetings and discussions, MGC members voted that PSI is “preliminarily suitable for a temporary Category 3 sports wagering operator license.”

PSI Must Meet Conditions to Obtain a Permanent License

PSI runs Barstool Sportsbook, which is live in 15 states as of January 2023. Massachusetts is next on the list.

The MGC attached specific conditions to its approval of a temporary license for PSI:

“Commissioners required that the licensee agrees that no persons under the age of 21 will be permitted entrance into any live Barstool College Football Show events, fully cooperate with an IEB investigation of Barstool Sports, Inc. in connection with the licensee’s branding, provide material updates to the IEB relative to proceedings discussed during executive session, and provide the MGC with diversity goals for workforce and supplier spend.”

In addition to fulfilling those prerequisites, PSI must also “obtain an operations certificate and meet additional conditions before they can accept wagers on approved sporting events.”

Also read: Barstool Sportsbook Massachusetts Review

All MA Casinos Are Set to Offer Retail and Online Sports Betting

Category 3 licenses are specifically for online sports betting operators. WynnBet was the first to receive a Category 3 license, followed later in December by BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook. So far, all the mobile betting operators approved to operate in the Commonwealth are tethered to the state’s land-based casinos. 

• Encore Boston Harbor: WynnBET and Caesars Sportsbook
• MGM Springfield: BetMGM
• Plainridge Park Casino (PPC): Penn Sports Interactive (Barstool).

Classified as Category 1 operators, the casinos can partner with up to two Category 3 operators. PPC indicated last year that it also plans to partner with the Fanatics Sportsbook which has not launched yet.

Related news: Why BetRivers Didn’t Apply For MA Online Sportsbook License

Sports Betting Launch Just Around the Corner

Retail sports betting in Massachusetts is slated to launch before the end of the month, while the MGC aims to launch online sports wagering sometime in March.

MGC discussions on the remaining applications for a Category 3 license continue in the New Year via several open meetings per week in January. The public can view the deliberations live via the MGC’s YouTube channel.