Raynham Park is hoping to in the future provide retail sports activities betting on the former greyhound racetrack, but it surely’s unclear the place the percentages stand relating to that taking place anytime quickly.
Raynham Park, positioned south of Boston, is hoping to include a sportsbook on the getting old facility. The licensing course of has been delayed after the Massachusetts Gaming Fee raised suitability considerations relating to one particular person who was beforehand concerned within the observe’s possession group. (Picture: The Normal-Occasions)
The Massasoit Greyhound Affiliation is the mum or dad firm of the observe positioned roughly 30 miles south of Boston. MGA is managed by businessman George Carney.
Carney’s son, Chris Carney, beforehand held an possession stake within the racetrack till considerations had been raised by the Massachusetts Gaming Fee (MGC) relating to his involvement in a state-issued sportsbook license. In the course of the gaming regulator’s suitability probe into the youthful Carney, the MGC’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau discovered that Chris Carney was cited a number of instances by the Massachusetts Division of Environmental Safety for not correctly disposing of hazardous building supplies.
These violations, MGC commissioners mentioned, might render Chris Carney unsuitable to own a sports activities betting license within the commonwealth. Throughout a seven-hour MGC assembly on Monday, attorneys representing the elder Carney mentioned Chris has offered his shares in MGA and the racetrack proprietor was repetitioning the state to think about its retail sportsbook license with out Chris’ involvement.
License on Maintain
Commissioners grappled with figuring out whether or not Chris’ earlier designation as a “necessary qualifier” for the sportsbook license could possibly be withdrawn. Assuming the MGC can impose circumstances to legally guarantee that Chris has no affect or enter on the sports activities betting companies’ operation, the MGC voted 4-1 in favor of withdrawing Chris as a compulsory qualifier for the license.
Commissioner Eileen O’Brien was the lone dissenting vote. She repeatedly expressed her perception that it could be tough for the state to be assured that Chris would haven’t any authority or say within the sportsbook operation or to guarantee that he wouldn’t talk about the enterprise together with his household or different stakeholders.
The MGC hasn’t publicly disclosed the severity of Chris Carney’s environmental citations. Regulators as an alternative went into closed-door government discussions when these issues had been raised.
Attorneys for George Carney requested the state gaming officers to attract a tough line as to the place the father-son partnership should finish. Requested whether or not Chris’ enterprise might proceed to plow the snow on the facility, Commissioner Jordan Maynard mentioned it could be finest that the youthful Carney’s enterprise chorus from additional being a Raynham Park vendor.
Sportsbook Accomplice
Chris Carney was answerable for Raynham Park discovering a retail sportsbook companion in Caesars Sportsbook. Chris’ longtime good friend, Dan Shapiro, is the chief growth officer for Caesars Digital, the on line casino firm’s on-line gaming and sports activities betting unit.
Caesars Sportsbook withdrew from the partnership earlier this month after the MGC raised considerations about Chris’ suitability.
Caesars Sportsbook is already licensed for on-line sports activities betting in Massachusetts via its partnership with Wynn Resorts and Encore Boston Harbor. Wynn introduced this month its plans to close down WynnBet operations in eight states, although Massachusetts wasn’t one.
George Carney and his Massasoit Greyhound Affiliation should now discover one other third-party retail sportsbook companion to proceed the Raynham Park sports activities betting software. Carney has already paid the MGC the $200K nonrefundable payment a retail sports activities betting software requires.
Carney’s sportsbook blueprint features a 30,000-square-foot sportsbook with two eating places and bars.
