Massachusetts Sports Betting and Pickleball a Match Made in Heaven

• The Massachusetts Gaming Commission discussed a petition from FanDuel to allow sports betting on the Professional Pickleball Association 
• The commissioners unanimously approved betting on pickleball
• Bets on Professional Pickleball Association events are now allowed in nine states

Massachusetts sports betting has its newest event.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission unanimously voted to approve a petition from FanDuel to allow sports betting in the commonwealth on certain events hosted by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). Massachusetts is now the ninth state in the country to allow sports betting on the PPA.

“I don’t want to stand in the way of pickleball,” Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said.

Millions in Pickleball Prizes Awarded in 2023

The PPA is a professionally sanctioned league that has awarded $5.3 million in prize money to its competitors in 2023, said Andrew Steffen, interim sports wagering operations manager.

Sports betting on the PPA is currently legal in Connecticut, Illinois, Wyoming, Michigan, Tennessee, Colorado, Maryland, Washington, and now Massachusetts. It’s pending approval in New Jersey, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.

Members of the MGC expressed concerns on why PPA was pending approval in those three states and if regulators in those jurisdictions had concerns over the integrity of the PPA or issues with the sports itself.

Steffen contacted a FanDuel representative who said certain jurisdictions move slower in making these determinations than others.

“The pending approvals have nothing to do with integrity issues or questions with the sport,” Steffen said.

The commissioners had nothing but positive things to say about the sport leading up to the unanimous vote to approve betting on events hosted by the PPA.

“Pickleball is huge. I can’t go to any tennis court in my area anymore without their being some type of pickleball,” Commissioner Brad Hill said.

Operators Present Q2 2023 Sports Betting results

Several online sports betting operators presented their Massachusetts sports betting results for Q2 2023 to the commission this morning as well.

PENN Sports Interactive, operating at Barstool Sportsbook for the quarter, reported more than $59 million in handle, $4.7 million in sports betting revenue, and almost $1 million in sports betting tax revenue for Massachusetts.

Caesars Sportsbook reported $3.7 million in revenue for the quarter and $725,189 in sports betting tax revenue for the commonwealth.

The three state casinos reported their retail sports betting figures for the quarter as well. Encore Boston Harbor reported $1.72 million in retail sports betting revenue and $251,000 in sports betting taxes to the state and Plainridge Park Casino reported $630,385 in revenue and $94,558 in sports betting tax revenue.