The post Massachusetts Regulator: We Need More Info Before Considering ESPN BET Launch appeared first on SportsHandle.

As PENN Entertainment points to a November national rebranding of its sports betting platform to ESPN BET, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday found itself a bit perplexed.

Commissioners questioned why PENN had not yet submitted a “detailed explanation” of its relationship with ESPN ahead of the planned change, and staff attorney Catilin Monahan stressed that the rebranded platform could not launch in Massachusetts until the commission signs off on it.

With 12 days left in October and the next MGC meeting scheduled for Nov. 2, time is getting tight for approval in time for PENN’s November rebrand under its new partnership with ESPN.

After MGC Commissioner Nakisha Skinner suggested that discussing approval of the rebrand was premature, Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said: “I’m waiting for the ask [from PENN] unless there is this notion that there doesn’t have to be an ask. I’m wondering why we haven’t received a request, and I am wondering where the disconnect is.”

According to commission staff, PENN executives who were not present but listening to the meeting messaged that the company would provide an explanation of the new relationship next week. The commission agreed to hold an additional meeting Nov. 7 to discuss the matter.

Barstool experience colors ESPN approval

There are several issues at play. The current PENN platform, Barstool Sportsbook, is a subsidiary of PENN Entertainment and therefore did not require its own license. ESPN BET will, and ESPN is currently licensed in Massachusetts as a vendor.

The bigger issue for the MGC will be how PENN and ESPN personalities will interact and what kind of authority PENN will have in determining where to draw the line in terms of how ESPN personalities handle wagering on the air and on ESPN websites. That includes what will happen when College GameDay or other shows go on the road. The commission has the strongest regulations in the country focused on responsible gambling, including a ban on any relationships between Massachusetts operators and sportsbook operators in the state.

When ESPN BET arrives, which on-air personalities will promote wagering? @EricRaskin explores what we can expect from @stephenasmith, @notthefakeSVP, @AdamSchefter, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and others:https://t.co/mJZvNJ236k

— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 11, 2023

In addition, the commission delayed initial approval of Barstool Sportsbook’s brick-and-mortar location after a 2022 New York Times story pointed to founder Dave Portnoy as a “degenerate” gambler, and he discussed a $100,000 bet on a Tennessee game at an off-campus event ahead of the game.

“I’m disturbed by that,” MGC Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said at the time.

‘The ESPN college football show is an issue’

The MGC has taken a hard line on marketing to underage people and will want to understand whether ESPN personalities will discuss wagers on or near college campuses or on the air.

“Just because ESPN is a behemoth doesn’t mean I won’t hold them to the same standard as Barstool,” Commissioner Jordan Maynard said. “It’s not that easy. … ESPN has even more opportunities to host sports shows than Barstool did, so knowing how that opportunity works is very important to me.”

Said Commissioner Eileen O’Brien: “The ESPN college football show is an issue. How are they going to draw the line between people who work for the entity suggesting specific bets?”

ESPN unveiled the official logos for ESPN BET on Wednesday, an announcement that comes as the new betting app gears up for a November launch, writes @BennettConlin (click pic for full story).https://t.co/SR3lBfjON4

— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 18, 2023

There are other issues likely to come up, including how the MGC will want ESPN BET to handle its logo, particularly if used at major sports venues in the state. Last month, the commission decided that DraftKings‘ general logo would be subject to the same rules as a sports betting-specific logo, meaning that any logo in or visible in a sports venue must include “21+” on it. The new ESPN BET logo, unveiled Wednesday, includes the traditional ESPN logo.

In other news …

Ahead of the PENN-ESPN discussion, the commission approved two rules about licensing and one around bankruptcy policies. It also began to learn about and discuss rules around what happens when an operator shuts down. The impetus for the rules, according to Mina Makarious, is to allow the MGC to remain in control of licenses and not allow a company that is shutting down operations to sell its license.

Throughout the meeting, the commission got updates on other matters, including the status of the job description and search for a new head of the Investigations Enforcement Bureau and a GameSense quarterly report.

The post Massachusetts Regulator: We Need More Info Before Considering ESPN BET Launch appeared first on SportsHandle.