MA Mobile Sports Betting Start Time Set Ahead Of March Madness

MASSACHUSETTS, MA — Anyone watching a Bruins game, Celtics game or just about any other sports-related programming in Massachusetts over the past few weeks has had no espcape from the succession of advertisements from mobile sports wagering companies proclaiming that mobile and online betting is "coming soon" across the state.

Now, those eager to place their bets from the comfort of their own homes on their phones — without having to go to one of the state's three casinos, as has been the case since Jan. 31 — know the minute they should be able to get in on the action.

The Massachusetts State Gaming Commission during their meeting on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for a 10 a.m. launch for the seven betting sites and phone applications to flip the switch and start accepting bets on March 10. The timing, which was targeted earlier this year to start in advance of the NCAA basketball tournaments, will allow for several days of betting ahead of the first day of the men's college basketball tournament openers on March 14.

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College sports fans have been allowed to bet on college sports in casinos since Jan. 31 with the exception of Massachusetts colleges — which can only be legally wagered on if they are playing in a postseason tournament, such as the men's or women's March Madness, or a college football bowl game.

"It's really going to be a benefit to the Commonwealth that before one of the largest sporting events in the country — March Madness — that it looks like everything is going to launch," MGC Commissioner Jordan Maynard said on Tuesday.

The 10 a.m. on March 10 launch will be for the seven mobile betting sites that will be reviewed for final certification on March 9. Three additional applications are expected to enter the Massachusetts market over the next months and year, but will not be ready for next week.

(Also on Patch: North Shore Legislators Celebrate Launch Of Legal MA Sports Betting)

The seven betting sites — several of which have already begun advertising introductory betting promotions and urging potential users to download their applications ahead of the March 10 launch — are Barstool Sportsbook, Bet MGM, Betr, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and WynnBet.

MGC Executive Director Karen Wells said that the seven mobile services all appear to be on track to gain certification for launch on March 10 at 10 a.m.

"We are getting very positive results from the testing," she said, "and from the reviews of the interim controls. So, we're not seeing any issues there.

"Things seem to be moving along well."

BallyBet and Fanatics Sportsbook are targeting a May launch, while Betway is expected to seek application approval sometime in 2024.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)