Massachusetts Regulators Will Hold Sports Betting Limitation Meeting By October

Jul 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY SportsThe Massachusetts Gaming Commission will hold its public meeting on the practice of limiting sports betting customers by the first week of OctoberThe public meeting will likely include licensed Massachusetts gaming operators, industry reps, and sports betting customersInterim Commission Chair Jordan Maynard said he expects all operators to attend the meeting

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is narrowing down a window of time to hold one of the most anticipated sports betting industry discussions in recent memory.

Commissioners agreed today to hold a public meeting on the operator practice of limiting sports betting customers no later than the first week of October. The public meeting will likely include representatives from the licensed Massachusetts sports betting operator, sports betting industry professionals, and sports betting customers to discuss how the practice is implemented, statistics on the practice, and how a determination is made to limit users in the state.

The commission is expecting all sportsbook operators to attend the meeting.

Robust, but Respectful, Discussion Expected

The meeting will likely be split into two portions, according to the commission. Sports bettors and industry professionals will speak during one half of the meeting and the licensed sports betting operators will be able to speak in the other.

Operators will be expected to provide statistics on the practice of limiting sports bettors and publicly discuss what goes into the decision making process to limit Massachusetts customers on their platforms.

Interim Commission Chair Jordan Maynard has noted on several occasions that the MGC will ensure that the discussion is respectful of all parties involved. The MGC will likely not allow either parties to debate the practice among each other during the meeting, he said.

Maynard did publicly share his expectations for those he expects to be in attendance for the meeting.

“I expect every operator will engage in this conversation with us. Not hope, expect,” he said.

The public roundtable could lead to new regulations that may limit the practice in the state.

Second Times the Charm?

The public meeting will be the second discussion hosted by the MGC on the controversial topic. Seven of the eight sports betting operators did not attend the MGC’s first meeting on the practice, which rankled a number of the state regulators.

Commissioner Nakisha Skinner has been the most vocal member of the MGC in her disappointment over the first meeting. During a discussion earlier this month, Skinner said this will not be a meeting for operators to “save face” by showing up but refusing to speak on the topic in public.

While the commission will likely provide operators with a list of topics that will be discussed during the meeting, they will reserve the opportunity to ask questions in real time, Skinner said.