Super Bowl offered first big test for Mass. sportsbooks after in-person wagering launch
The three sportsbooks in Massachusetts offering legal, in-person sports betting faced their first big test Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs pulled out a victory in their Super Bowl matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
But the true impact of one of the biggest sporting events of the year on Massachusetts’ nascent sports wagering industry will not come into clear view until March when the three casinos report revenue figures for February to regulators.
Numbers aside, officials at Encore Boston Harbor, Plainridge Park Casino and MGM Springfield said the weekend was a resounding success.
A temporary Barstool-themed sportsbook at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville was “jamming,” said Penn Entertainment Vice President of Public Affairs Jeff Morris.
“We jammed all weekend long,” he said in an interview with MassLive. “It was kind of like a New Year’s Eve-level type of vibe. And the place is really exciting.”
Each casino declined to provide specific figures for the Super Bowl, including how much was wagered on Saturday and Sunday and how many patrons visited each location. But the companies are expected to report that data to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for public presentation next month.
A spokesperson for the commission said state law requires sports betting operators to report on gross sports wagering revenue from the preceding month on or before the 15th of each month.
“Given the law establishes a monthly reporting schedule, the commission will be reporting on sports wagering figures each month following the 15th, similar to how we report on casino revenues,” the spokesperson told MassLive.
In-person wagering in Massachusetts launched on Jan. 31 to great fanfare from gaming officials and bettors in Boston, Plainville, and Springfield. And some of the first bets local leaders made then — the Kansas City Chiefs to win the big game — likely paid off over the weekend.
MGM Springfield spokesperson Beth Ward said it was “incredible to see so many people visit our new BetMGM Sportsbook and Lounge leading up to and during the big game.”
“This was our first major sporting event since opening our venue, and the atmosphere was phenomenal! We look forward to more of the same during March match-ups,” she said in a statement.
BetMGM experienced its most successful Super Bowl, according to officials, who added the matchup was the most bet on single sporting event ever for the sportsbook.
Encore spokesperson Beth Gibbons said “we were very pleased with the turnout we saw for the first Super Bowl with legalized sports betting.
“We look forward to continuing to welcome guests for future sporting events as Boston’s sportsbook,” she said in a statement to MassLive.
Back in Plainville, Morris said “many guests” were drawn specifically to the Barstool brand because of its Massachusetts roots in founder Dave Portnoy.
“We actually got a good number of guests who were very pleased to come and be spending money in Plainridge, and in Massachusetts, that had been going over to Twin River,” he said, referring to Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino in Providence, Rhode Island. “So that’s really nice to see. And like our food and beverage sales were incrementally higher, like very significantly doing well.”
Massachusetts’ sports betting industry faces its next major test in March when mobile wagering is expected to launch just in time for March Madness. Regulators proposed allowing mobile betting to start on March 10 at 10 a.m.
“The suggestion is we do it that day because it gives us the weekend if there’s any issues before March Madness starts and then there’s a Monday where we could have a commission meeting if necessary if there’s any issues before the big tournament starts,” Gaming Commission Executive Director Karen Wells said last week.
The Gaming Commission will meet next Tuesday with an agenda that includes reports on a series of illegal bets made on college games at Plainridge Park Casino and Encore Boston Harbor.
