Massachusetts Chair Commission Cathy Judd-Stein spoke at a public hearing on Monday, discussing the applications of three casinos to take bets on professional and college sports. She asked all present at the hearing if there were any objections to the proposals and was met with silence.
The State Governor Charlie Baker has already signed an Act Regulating Sports Wagering into law this summer. Subsequently, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has spent the last few months creating rules and parameters under which sports betting would operate in the Bay State.
By November 21, the state announced it had already received 15 applications across three categories of bet-taking licenses.
The three applications under review on Monday were from Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. MGC Commissioner Nakisha Skinner claimed there had been little to no pushback from local residents.
She said: “We had identified just this, sort of, overarching issue: the opportunity for the public to give comments, both in person and in writing,” but she added nothing had come in the form of objections.
Judd-Stein then turned the floor over to Plainville resident and Select Board Vice Chair Jeff Johnson during the hearing. He commented: “We look forward to this process bearing fruit early in the new year.
“In particular, here in Plainville, I will be grateful to know that the cars we see exiting the Commonwealth, carrying our money to sports wagering and table games just across the border from us, will have options to eat and spend and enjoy our money in our state. On behalf of Plainville, I’m here to recommend the application.”
Following Johnson’s speech, the floor was left open to hear out any cases against the casinos’ applications, but there were none.
