Here’s when mobile sports betting will be allowed in Mass.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has revealed the first possible date for online and mobile sports betting in the state.According to the MGC, the allowable launch date for online/mobile sports wagering is Friday, March 10. That date is two days before the 68-team field for the 2023 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is announced and four days before the first March Madness game tips off.The allowable launch date for mobile sports betting will be 38 days after retail sports wagering launched in Massachusetts at three casinos: Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park in Plainville. The launch of retail sports betting in the state came within six months of former Gov. Charlie Baker signing the sports betting bill into law on Aug. 10, 2022.The MGC has also announced that it has approved temporary Category 3 sports wagering licenses for nine operators: BallyBet, Barstool Sportsbook (Penn Sports Interactive, BetMGM, Betr, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel and WynnBET.DraftKings, a Boston-based mobile sports betting platform, enlisted the services of several Boston sports greats during a commercial shoot on Jan. 23. That group included legendary Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who won three World Series titles; recently-retired NHL defenseman Zdeno Chara, who was captain of the Boston Bruins for each of his 14 seasons with the team and led them to a Stanley Cup in 2011; retired gymnast Aly Raisman, a Needham native who won three gold medals, two silvers and one bronze as captain of the U.S. women’s team during the 2012 and 2016 Olympics; and Boston Celtics television color analyst Brian Scalabrine, who won helped the team win its most recent NBA championship in 2008.Two of the nine operators, BallyBet and Fanatics, informed the MGC that they will not launch on March 10 and instead plan to launch in May 2023.The MGC also revealed that Digital Gaming Corp (Betway) has not yet submitted a request for a temporary license and the $1 million licensing fee, but said that the company has indicated they will do so soon with a plan to launch in Massachusetts in about a year.Another Category 3 applicant, Pointsbet, informed the MGC ahead of a public hearing on Thursday that it will be withdrawing its application to operate mobile sports betting in Massachusetts.People must be 21 or older to bet and the catalog of events approved for wagering in Massachusetts includes a lot more than the big games. The MGC voted to allow wagering for things like professional league drafts, the big game MVP awards, competitive eating contests, and competitive entertainment events like the Academy Awards.Beyond football, basketball, hockey and baseball, commissioners also approved wagering on an expansive list of other sports, including athletics, Australian rules football, badminton, biathlon, billiards, bowling, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, disc, floorball, futsal, golf, handball, field hockey, lacrosse, mixed martial arts, racing, netball, pesapallo, rowing, rugby league, rugby union, sailing, snooker, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and water polo.High school and youth sports or athletic events are never permitted as subjects for wagering in Massachusetts. Additionally, bets will not be allowed on a collegiate sport or athletic event involving one or more teams from the state, unless they are involved in a tournament with four or more teams — such as the NCAA Tournament.Bets are also not permitted for events where the final outcome is primarily based on the evaluation or assessment of a judge or panel of judges. That includes Summer and Winter Olympic events.Wagers on any sports or sporting event overseen by Russian or Belarusian governing bodies, leagues, events and players are not allowed.The MGC has approved these types of wagers for all leagues: Single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, over-under, moneyline, pools, exchange wagering, in-game wagering, in-play bets, proposition bets, straight bets, point spreads, pleasers, round robin, cash out, 3-way, spread/handicap, totals, player-game-team props, futures/outrights, yes/no, Win/Place/Each Way.Next occurrence wagers are also allowed for in-game wagers.Massachusetts will not allow wagering on an outcome dependent on the performance of an individual collegiate athlete, fantasy contests, injuries, penalties, player discipline or replay review.What about gambling addiction?The Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, a nonprofit that operates centers at the state’s three casinos, employs “game sense advisers” who work with casino patrons to help them understand the odds of winning. They can also help people put their names on a voluntary self-exclusion list to block themselves from the casinos.“We anticipate there will be a lot of new people coming in,” Marlene Warner, CEO of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, told The Associated Press.Warner said one demographic the group is expecting to see is young men, which she said are also one of the hardest groups to reach with help for problem gambling.“That is also the primary audience for sports wagering,” she said. “Those folks are already gambling at sports, often at harmful levels.”Video below: Gambling addiction warning signsMassachusetts has a Problem Gambling Helpline which offers support to affected individuals and their loved ones. Individuals can call 1-800-327-5050 or visit https://gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with trained specialists.Services are available around-the-clock and in multiple languages.The state also has a voluntary self-exclusion program and GameSense information centers are located in each of the three casinos.