DraftKings suffered a defeat in its home state when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said no dice to a request from the sportsbook operator to revisit a prior vote to launch in-person wagering two months ahead of mobile wagering.
The commission set its sights on completing the rules for in-person sports wagering by January and mobile betting by early March, according to the Boston Herald.
Concerned about land-based sportsbooks getting a jump on building customer bases, DraftKings wants both on-site and online to launch simultaneously.
“We don’t see any changes to the facts or circumstances since our vote,” Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said.
“I don’t think we need to revisit this,” Commissioner Brad Hill said. “I think people are concerned that we might be giving a leg up if we do the staggered launch, I don’t agree with that.”
In October, commissioners indicated that promulgating rules would take longer to do for mobile sports betting. The commission is charged with adopting some 225 regulations.
