Read The Letter PointsBet Sent To Pull Its Massachusetts Application

At the recent meeting of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, held last Thursday, an approval was granted to PointsBet for their request to withdraw their online sports betting license application in Massachusetts.

This was simply a procedural requirement. PointsBet had withdrawn its application a couple of weeks prior to the online sports betting launch on March 10, and therefore, it was not among the six MA online sportsbooks that commenced operations on that day.

Nevertheless, in accordance with state regulations, the withdrawal must be officially acknowledged by the commission. This requirement was met through a unanimous vote of 5-0.

Commissioner Eileen O’Brien expressed her disappointment at the sudden change of events less than two months after the approval.

Included in the materials for Thursday’s meeting is the letter from PointsBet to the MGC, wherein they requested approval for their withdrawal. The letter is provided below. Please note that certain commercially-sensitive information in the referenced “Exhibit A” has been redacted.

PointsBet’s Massachusetts withdrawal letter

The letter was found on page 14 of the Thursday MGC meeting materials.

Dear Executive Director Wells,

I would like to express our profound appreciation to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on behalf of PointsBet Massachusetts bLC (PointsBet). We are extremely grateful for the diligent and comprehensive implementation of a sports wagering regulatory framework in the Commonwealth, as directed by the enabling legislation. PointsBet acknowledges and values the immense dedication demonstrated by the MGC throughout this entire process. Working closely with the MGC and its staff has been an absolute delight for us.

PointsBet is seeking the MGC’s approval to withdraw its application for consideration as a Category 3 licensee, along with all related business entity disclosures and individual qualifier applications. This request is necessary due to business reasons outlined in Exhibit A. On January 19, 2023, the MGC determined that PointsBet was preliminarily suitable, which now mandates the submission of this withdrawal request to obtain the required approval from the MGC.

We appreciate your time in addressing this matter and would like to express our gratitude in advance. If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We eagerly anticipate receiving a response from the MGC regarding our request to withdraw the PointsBet Massachusetts LLC application, as well as any related applications from entities and personnel that were submitted as outlined in Exhibit B of this letter.

‘Focus on our 14 live states’

When asked about its decision not to launch in Massachusetts in February, PointsBet provided Play MA with more specific reasons.

Patrick Eichner, the director of communications at PointsBet, stated in an email to Play MA:

“We have opted for this direction to highlight our unwavering commitment to our 14 active states in the US (along with Ontario) and to maximize our efforts in these markets, which offer tremendous potential for us to pursue (Total Addressable Market).”