PointsBet pulls out of Massachusetts sports betting

In 14 days, Massachusetts mobile sports betting is expected to officially launch, but yesterday when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission released its list of approved operators, one was conspicuously absent from the list. PointsBet, which was originally deemed suitable for a license by the MGC, notified the Commissioners that its withdrawing its application from consideration for the Bay State.

There was a letter delivered to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Wednesday night from the operator’s COO Johnny Aitken who did not highlight a specific reason for the application withdrawal but did thank the MGC for consideration and for being seen as suitable for a license. Not having an office space in Massachusetts could have been one of the factors leading to this decision.
The withdrawal will allow PointsBet to turn their attention back to the 14 U.S. states that it is already live in.

PointsBet wasn’t the first to make this move. Just last month, bet365 also announced it will be backing out of the application process, despite aiming toward launching online sports betting in connection to Raynham Park.

With both PointsBet and bet365 becoming a past thought for Massachusetts sports betting, residents can now turn their main focus on the ones that did receive approval in yesterday’s MGC meeting.
There are seven operators with plans to launch on 10 March, the first day allowed for mobile sports wagering in the Bay State. Those are Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, betr, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and WynnBET.

BallyBet and Fanatics were also approved, but are aiming for a launch date in May.

In addition to those, Betway indicated to the MGC that it will soon submit a request for a temporary license along with the $1 million licensing fee. However, it will not be launching in Massachusetts for roughly one year.