Still no sports betting license for Raynham Park, Boston
Tuesday 22 de August 2023 / 12:00
2 minutos de lectura
(Boston).- Despite operating a gambling establishment in Raynham for most of the century, the owners of the former greyhound racing track are struggling to convince the state’s gaming commission they should be allowed to take bets on professional sports.
While more than half-a-dozen companies have entered the state and started taking bets from Massachusetts residents since the industry was made legal and launched earlier this year, the Massasoit Greyhound Association, the business behind Raynham Park, can’t seem to get passed the licensing phase of operations.
“I have a number of questions that, to me, kill a claim that good cause has been shown on this record,” Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said.
Raynham Park is, according to lawyers speaking for the company on Monday, owned by George Carney, Jr., who inherited the business from his father.
The involvement of his son Chris Carney, who has other business interests and companies working with the track, was of particular concern to the commission. Lawyers for the company spent most of their time during the six-hour meeting with commissioners trying to convince them that Chris Carney had no say in the business or sway with his father’s decision-making.
The commission, on the other hand, seemed very concerned they had not yet fully cleared the younger Carney for licensure, despite their belief he had represented himself as the company’s owner in several publications and press releases sent out by the family. A release sent to the Herald in January identifies Chris Carney as “Raynham Park owner.”
“Our sportsbook will be one of the largest sports gaming destinations not only in Massachusetts, but in the United States,” Carney is quoted in the release, his ownership implied.
The Gaming Commission also learned in open meeting last Friday that several violations cited by the state Department of Environmental Protection concerning the handling and disposal of hazardous waste and construction-related materials were committed by companies operated by the family.
Also standing in their way is the fact that on Friday the owners of Raynham Park announced their deal with Caesars Sportsbook to run their sports betting business had fallen through. This is the second betting company to back out of a deal with the park, after Bet365 announced earlier this year they would not be doing business in Raynham.
Lawyers for the company asked the commission to consider their efforts to remove the younger Carney from any position of control within the sports betting business, and the fact they had been taking bets under a state license for decades when considering whether to move ahead of a finding of preliminary suitability for a license.
“We do recognize that the operating agreement provides a gap, right, and we’re saying we can and expect to put that back together. And we don’t want the commission to do anything more but give us this conditional approval — which it can do — based on that actually occurring,” Jed Nosal, a former state assistant attorney general who is now a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, said.
Dog racing hasn’t been allowed at Raynham Park since 2010, when the Carney’s business went from employing about 500 to less than 100. The track missed the bid for a casino license when the state expanded gambling in 2011.
When sports betting was made legal in the state, the family bought 13 acres of land next to the track and began building what they say will eventually become the largest physical sportsbook in the country. Construction of a new building was well underway when the Herald visited the track last October.
Back then, before they began having trouble getting past the commission, Chris Carney told the Herald his family was hoping to open the new business by April of 2023.
As of the end of Monday’s meeting, and notwithstanding the visible frustration of their attorneys, they still don’t have a license.
Categoría:Sportsbook
Tags: Sin tags
País: United States
Región: North America
Event
iGaming Club Conference Cancun
24 de November 2025
Levon Nikoghosyan Confirms iGaming Cancun’s Success and Future LATAM Expansion
(Cancun, SoloAzar Exclusive).- The vibrant energy of iGaming Cancun has set the tone for a new chapter in the Latin American iGaming industry. Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO and Co-Founder of AffPapa and iGaming Club, shared his enthusiasm for the event’s debut in Mexico, highlighting its impact on the regional market and the company’s ambitious plans for the future.
Thursday 04 Dec 2025 / 12:00
iGaming Club Cancún 2025 Concludes Successfully with Strong Connections in Its First LatAm Edition
(Cancun, SoloAzar Exclusive).- iGaming Club Cancún 2025 came to a close last night with a comprehensive experience of conferences, networking, and the AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM gala, consolidating itself as a unique space for operators, affiliates, and providers in the region.
Thursday 27 Nov 2025 / 12:00
iGaming Club Cancún 2025: Affiliates, Operators, and Innovation Take Center Stage on Final Day
(Cancun, SoloAzar Exclusive).- The second and final day of iGaming Club Cancún 2025 unfolds today, bringing together operators, affiliates, and select B2B providers in a unique networking and conference environment that highlights the evolving dynamics of the Latin American iGaming market.
Wednesday 26 Nov 2025 / 12:00
SUSCRIBIRSE
Para suscribirse a nuestro newsletter, complete sus datos
Reciba todo el contenido más reciente en su correo electrónico varias veces al mes.

