As legal online sports betting in Massachusetts celebrates its first anniversary this Sunday, bettors are gearing up for March Madness.
The Bay State’s online sportsbook landscape looks a little different than last year, when online sports betting launched just days before the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments tipped off. Bettors still have six sports betting apps to choose from in Massachusetts, but those options aren’t quite the same.
WynnBET and Betr are the latest operators to shake up the Massachusetts sports betting landscape by exiting the state, but they’re not the only operators rocking the boat in this market. Let’s take a look at why they left and which MA sportsbooks are available for 2024 March Madness betting.
WynnBET, Betr make official exit as Massachusetts sportsbooks
WynnBET was in the first batch of sportsbooks to launch in Massachusetts last March. However, the sportsbook stopped accepting bets in February as it completed its exit from the market. Wynn Resorts Ltd., which shuttered the sportsbook in eight other states in 2023, reportedly made the moves to focus on other aspects of its business.
Betr was another sportsbook to shut down operations in February. After launching last May, the underperforming live-betting-focused platform cited the high costs of MA license renewal and an interest in other states and products as two primary reasons for its exit.
Bally Bet also has a license to offer online sports betting in the state but has yet to go live. In an early-January Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting it was revealed that Bally Bet had renewed its temporary license, although a launch timeline has yet to surface.
BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel facing player prop penalties
March Madness marks a special time for Massachusetts sports bettors, as the tournament is one of the few times during the year when sports fans can wager on in-state college teams.
What those in Massachusetts can’t do during March Madness is place bets on any individual player’s performance. College player prop bets, whether on an in-state team or otherwise, are strictly prohibited. The regulation was put in place to protect student-athletes and prevent harassment.
So while you can bet on any team this college basketball tournament season, you can’t bet on things like how many points or rebounds a specific player will log during these games.
Regulators keep a close eye out for sportsbooks violating these college sports betting rules. The MGC last month revealed that BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel were found to have allowed college player prop bets and will likely face penalties.
At the commission’s Feb. 1 meeting, commissioners considered action against BetMGM for allowing more than 15,000 college football player prop bets, amounting to a handle of more than $200,000. The matter remains unresolved and was referred to a future adjudicatory hearing.
The Feb. 29 MGC meeting revealed that DraftKings accepted wagers worth around $450 on a player’s performance during this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship game. FanDuel was said to have had a similar but unspecified non-compliance issue. Decisions on both sportsbooks’ violations have been put on hold until the outcome of the initial BetMGM matter is determined.
Six online sportsbooks remain for MA March Madness betting
Back when MA sports betting launched online last year on March 10, sports bettors had six sportsbooks to choose from. But just four of the online sportsbooks available in Massachusetts during last year’s college basketball tournaments still exist in the state today:
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
Fortunately, two other sportsbooks have also launched since then.
Fanatics Sportsbook was late to the party, missing Massachusetts March Madness action entirely. The sportsbook made a soft launch in late May before taking Fanatics MA statewide in August.
The now-defunct Barstool Sportsbook — PENN Entertainment’s sports betting platform — was another MA sportsbook available during March Madness last year. Since then, however, PENN rebranded its sports betting app to ESPN Bet, which launched in November of last year.
The retail sportsbooks at the three MA casinos — Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino — also accept March Madness bets.
