Massachusetts has contracted with an equipment testing lab and financial auditing firm to help meet an early 2023 sports betting launch timeline.
Testing lab GLI and financial firm RSM were selected for the contracts, Mass Gaming Commission Executive Director Karen Wells told the commission at its Thursday meeting. She said the contracts are “critical” for meeting the timeline set by the MGC at its meeting on Oct. 7.
Under the timeline, retail sports betting would launch in late January ahead of the Super Bowl. Mobile sports betting would launch in early March.
“It is going to be huge for our implementation timeline,” she told the MGC today. “I know the team is really excited to have this level of help and this level of professionalism.”
GLI, or Gaming Labs International, has been under contract for testing of the commonwealth’s casino equipment for years. Wells suggested the MGC contract with GLI on sports betting testing standards and internal controls soon after the commonwealth’s sports betting law was signed on Aug. 10.
RSM is a multinational accounting firm that assists states across the US. In Massachusetts, Wells said the firm will help with the MGC’s background review of sports betting applications, case management, financial suitability, and more.
Oct. 17 Deadline Looms For Potential Sports Betting Operators
For potential retail and mobile sports betting applicants, the next step on the timeline is turning in a required “scoping study” form on Oct. 17. The survey, released by the MGC on Oct. 7, will give the commission its first look at companies vying for a sport in the Bay State market.
MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein reminded potential applicants of next week’s deadline at today’s meeting.
“The scoping survey is part of the application for Category 1, 2, and 3 operator licenses. Prospective operators must meet this deadline. Vendors will eventually be required to fill this survey out as well, but are not subject to the same deadline,” Judd-Stein said.
A draft sports betting operator application approved by the MGC last week has an Oct. 17 deadline for public comment. The ultimate due date for those applications is expected to be sometime in late November.
The MGC suggested today that potential applicants review the draft and begin compiling documents that they will likely need to submit as part of the application process.
According to Judd-Stein, “We recommend that the interested applicants begin to review and pull materials together.”
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