If a bettor in Massachusetts wants to bet on the upcoming Kentucky Derby, they won’t be able to do it at most online sportsbooks in the state.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) ruled horse racing can’t be part of a sportsbooks offerings. The only option bettors in Massachusetts have is to go to a simulcast facility. The vote was 5-0.
Commissioners were just reinforcing a rule that was already on the books. That regulation states wagers can not be offered for greyhound or horse races.
“So, at a minimum, it would likely not be as simple as just including racing in the sports wagering catalog if the commission were so inclined to do so,” said the MGC’s general counsel, Todd Grossman, during the meeting.
The New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association had expressed concerns about horse racing being available at online sportsbooks. Representatives told the MGC that revenue is at a fixed rate, something that might not occur with online sportsbooks.
“This was an easy one today,” Commissioner Bradford Hill remarked before the vote.
The MGC did allow FanDuel to be able to provide advanced deposit wagering for its horse racing app in a 5-0 vote. That allows the sportsbook to let customers to access the racebook without having to log in, though the two will remain separate.
“It has introduced new users to advance deposit wagering,” a memo to commissioners noted. “As the Commission learned during the ramp-up to sports wagering, many people in Massachusetts were not aware that we already had on-line wagering on horse racing.”
Another company that might be taking advantage of ADW is DraftKings. The sportsbook announced last week that its new horse racing app, DK Horse, is operational in 12 states, including Massachusetts.
Another horse-racing related subject that came up during the meeting was discussing an application submitted by Raynham Park, one of two simulcast facilities in the state. Raynham Park had applied for a sports-betting license.
Not only does Raynham Park want to allow customers to wager on sports, they also would like to see pari-mutuel wagering in the future. They are partnered with Caesars Sportsbook, which already has a racebook app online in the state.
