 Good. All right, we're going to get started then today. It's a convening of Massachusetts gaming commission meeting. Thursday, December 29th and. Three o'clock in the afternoon and we're going to get started. This public meeting number 417 after I take a roll call. Mr. O'Brien. I am here. Great. Thank you, Commissioner Hill. Good afternoon. I'm here. Commissioner Skinner. Good afternoon. I'm here. Good afternoon. I am here. Okay. As I said, we're calling this public meeting 417 on December 29th to order and we'll turn right over to Karen. They're going to update us on a little sports. Yes, madam chair. So the first item on the agenda is just an approval of the form for the request for the temporary licensure. We're going to go through the process. To either grant the licenses fully with respect, you've done that with two of the category ones, but we've got the. Plain, which part casino license and then the other untethered operators and then we have the untethered operators coming up. So pursuant to the statute and regulations, they must request temporary license. So this would just be the official form that they would fill out. So we're going to go through the process. We're going to go through the process. We're going to go through the process of developing this according to the law. And just wanted to put that in front of you and get your approval on the form. And we can go forward with that process. Are there any questions? So I don't know if that even requires a vote. Actually, but there is one. The right for vote. Probably we should. We can vote on the form of. Of. That request because that's by statute, right? Karen. You're. You come back to us with the recommendation. Will you just memorialize that in some. Yeah. So that is also part of the statute, which is that the executive director basically makes a determination of it that the. Applicant is a qualified gaming entity under the statute. So I will have something. It's up to you whether you want to approve the form or I will just submit something and writing to you that I've done something in compliance with the statute so that when you give the license, you know that all the correct things have been presented to you. I think it just as long as it's memorialized and writing, that's, that's enough for me. Do you want to form from Karen or. Probably it'll become a form of sorts. Right. I would submit something in writing to you when you actually give it. I'm thinking that. I will have some kind of official process that would fall. We would follow for each one of the. Applicants. And that there is has been confirmation that they're qualified gaming entity. Okay. Any questions on that part? I do have a question, Madam chair. So the submission of this. Form this request form. Karen US executive director. Recommend. Approval or denial. And then it comes back to the commission for further discussion. And then it comes back to the commission for further discussion. And then it comes back to the commission for further discussion. Or really just modification of your recommendation. Well, so this, this part of the request for the temporary license, this is you have made these preliminary determinations that they're eligible so they could apply for this temporary license. So that's been done. Now they can submit this and the million dollar fee. Then as part of the statute. In order to get the temporary license, the record, the temporary license is not required to be a temporary license. So that's the reason why they're not qualified gaming entity. So for example, I am confirming for you as commissioners. That it's not target that's applying for a gaming license. It's actually a gaming company. And that, that's all that pieces. So you have something from the director of director saying that before they get the temporary license. So everything comes back in. In front of the commission as a package. So their eligibility, which you've already made a determination on a million dollars. They can apply for the temporary license. They can apply for the temporary license. And they can apply for the temporary license for the gaming entity. And then, you know, I think at the same time, probably do it all the same day could also do the certificate of operations at the same time. One whole package and then they would be able to operate. So it makes sense. Yes, thank you. Okay. Any other questions on the floor. That's a great job by the staff. Thanks to God. But I guess I would suggest that maybe someone moved to approve the form for request for temporary licensure is submitted by Executive Director Wells today and made part of the packet. Someone wants to make such a motion. I move that the commission adopt the Massachusetts gaming commission request for a temporary license to conduct sports play during form, as included in the packet and discussed here today. Any second. Thank you, Commissioner Hill. Any questions or edits. Okay. Mr. Brian. Hi. Commissioner Hill. Hi. Mr. Skinner. Hi. Commissioner Maynard. Hi. And I vote yes. Great job. That gets that process going. Okay, check that one off. The next item to be I'm going to turn it over to our Chief Financial Officer Derek Lenin for the voluntary self exclusion database funding. Hi Derek. Oh, we have got John Scully as well. Hi, John. John, you have Mark and you have me. Oh, there's Mark too. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and commissioners. Thank you for having us. This is more of a, just a notification so that you are aware of what we are doing with funding. We have not done an assessment yet for the sports wager and control fund while we have some investigative fees in the house in house and we have the ability to put an administrative fee on that. We think that this item falls squarely under the assessment discussion, which we will come back to you for the during the mid year review. So hopefully all of the applicants and all of the licensees with the determination, and we can break up the costs of our operations across an assessment. But for the meantime, we need to, I think it's under section 13 paragraph E2 have a list of excluded persons. We have the 23 n section 13 paragraph E2 requires us to have a list of excluded persons we have a current database that we use under the gaming side, we would need to do some enhanced developments to implement that for sports fund. What we are proposing is to fund it under the public health trust fund the same way that the sports way on the gaming side is funded for now and then once we do the assessment shift the costs over to the assessment. That last part again please, Derek. So, so we'll front the costs against the public health trust fund it's still an allergy if we wanted to fund it under the public health trust fund this falls squarely within that realm anyways. However, seeing that, you know, we already have a full budget for the public health trust fund this year what we're proposing is to fund it initially from here, and then once we get an assessment. This would be included in the assessment and we would shift the cost back over to the assessment retroactively. And that doesn't create any issues for the trust or anything, working with public health. Okay, great. That's why we have mark here because he's already looked at whether he can absorb that in the short run versus waiting and we went through the whole discussion of what if we wait. It's required that that list is up beforehand. Then there's a whole idea of is there is there another mechanism we could use. Yes, we can do manual but we've seen from other areas that's probably not the best way to go. And we have a very nice database developed for the gaming side it would be nice to just roll this in the same way, and take the smaller implementation costs to get a developer on and just flip the switch for sports wagering. Mark if you'd like to add anything that I missed. I try not to miss any summarizations but I usually do. Derek you usually do a very, very good job. Good afternoon, Madam chair and commissioners. I think Derek did a very good job of something get up. The one thing I would like to say is, even if we begin the enhancements now to include sports wagering in the existing BSE database system so that the system that's been developed, there will be a small gap between the timeline would show us launching or fully integrating in say mid to late February. We do have a patch so that we can begin accepting persons on to the sports wagering. The voluntary self exclusion list as soon as the week of January 16, but just so that you know, there will be a small period of time in which we will need to utilize this patch before would the development would happen, and we could begin including persons and an integrated voluntary self exclusion functionally no no different for the individual who would like to sign up for for the list, but it does highlight the need that we would like to get the this enhancement started as soon as possible. Questions. commissioners. So we're not looking for vote all we're looking for make sure that no one says absolutely no to this. So we're looking for any objections. Correct. Any questions or objections. Mr Skinner. Objection. I was however prepared to make a motion, but apparently it's not needed. Okay. I guess we're also then if there are no questions or objections thanks gentlemen. Thank you. Nice to see you john. Nice to see you guys as well. Okay, then we're going to move on to item number three. And this is on the agenda for discussion of the process for the review of the category three untethered applicants. As I mentioned, our packet executive director wells and chief administrative office to the chair crystal Bolshman have been working with our legal department and outside council to ensure that our process continues to be comprehensive transparent there and compliance with the law and our regulations. As I mentioned, the packet does include recommendations on how to proceed given that it was the category three untethered group. There are some unique components. So the purpose of this meeting today is to ensure that all commissioners are fully informed as to the recommended approach for this evaluation process and that questions are answered. So the first part to create efficiencies it's been recommended that applicants attend the first meeting and so I think it would be on January 5 crystal. January 6, January 6, the 6, the first meeting during the evaluation process to hear at the same time, all at the same time how the proceedings will move forward and learn from General Counsel Grossman the relevant statutory and regulatory frame. You've had a chance to read the memo. Does anybody have any objection with consolidating all of the front side of our information in one meeting. Okay, that makes sense. Okay, good. Thank you. That takes a little bit of a lot of us. Okay. And next it's been recommended that each applicant conduct its presentations and then allow for the commissioners increase on distinct days. So again, we reserve two days at the end of the process for holistic review and determination of which the applicants may move forward and apply for temporary license in accordance with regulation 205CMR 218.06 which is describing the memo. So, again, we would go through one day at a time each applicant reserve at the end of the review two days for what is really a holistic review. That is somewhat comparative in nature of the six. Any questions or objections to that approach. The only comment I would make is terms of the recitation and the memo and page seven when it talks about what IB is going to be giving to us. We just said the suitability should just say preliminary suitability so it's clear what they're giving to us. That's good. Yep. Yep, noted. Okay, any other issue with the approach hearing none. We'll move on to the next issue which is the schedule itself. The executive team is and we're working with all stakeholders to meet our anticipated mobile online launch in March. This means we'll have to do our best to adhere to the schedules that forth in the memo. Particularly as set forth on page eight, I think of our memo that's the back page in our packet page eight of the packet page four of the memo. Are there any questions regarding the proposed schedules or any objections. All right, I'm hearing none. Okay, so thank you, Crystal and and Karen for taking a lot of time over the last several days to get this down to the memo for us. And it really has helped help me think about this process and I want to thank Dave Mackey and one povich for I think that they've helped you, two of you along the way. I want to also note. Karen I think you wanted me to make sure to say on the record to that. So it's that it's important for us to reiterate that the launch by any operators still strictly contingent on regulatory approval of operational readiness and the operators must pass verification and testing processes of rigorous testing process before any bets on their platform can be placed. So that's noted in the memo as well. Good reminder for all of us have to submit that payment. And I think if there are no questions or other issues. Madam chair the only thing I was just on the phone with the attorney Mackey, just to confirm on the indexing tool that we have the outside consultants preparing for this untethered process. I think that I think as early as I actually forgot to say that part, didn't I. Yeah, yeah, that's okay. So I think that the sort of the question was when do you want that you could get it. I think crystal they could finish that up and I think they have inputted all the data this just for the record this is not an evaluation of the applications by an outside party this is just a tool to help the commissioners navigate six of these simultaneously. And the question is they could just wait and do something that you could use on the 19 or you could get this earlier, as you are reviewing the applications that right. The recommendation was that it wait to be part of that. That date because there were several other tools that would come into play to one from RSM. But it could be done earlier. I think it's, it's probably almost done. I think that we just want to make sure everyone sees it. Everyone sees it or is utilizing it in the same way at the same time. So I'm a little confused but I just want to note that what we're talking about is an index and tool that Ernst and young was been engaged by the MGC has developed help with what I understood reviewing all six applications simultaneously. And that's simply an organizational enhancement to the process and will complement each commissioners independent review of the application sorry that I didn't note that. So it's my understanding that it's to help but are you saying crystal that it wouldn't come until the 19th. So it would certainly come in advance of the 19th but it's more of a procedural, like a process tool for helping navigate the 19th and 20th, but you certainly could get in advance if you thought it would be helpful. Yeah, I guess I always thought we were going to be getting it in advance. We can do that in advance of the sixth. Yeah. That was what my expectation was I don't know about everybody else. Is there going to be. Is there going to be any benefit. Just a little bit louder please. Is there going to be any to, will there be more wholesome or false on information that they, they gather if they do it later versus earlier. I don't know anything about it. This is this is they are not, they are not producing anything in addition to what's in the application. This is merely an index and due to help work through applications up until this point you've been doing one at a time, and the expectations you'll be doing six of these simultaneously cross references and will help with that navigation process as you're looking at all of them. So it's not as if they're getting outside information or supplemented and to your question. They won't be producing any additional information if we wait till the 19th it would be the same document. Can I ask this is it a tool that allows for us to make entries or is it strictly indexing from. It's an indexing tool from what I've seen yes. So it's not like a tool where we would be putting in our own notes. Right now it's in Excel I've asked for it kind of to be produced in PDF as well so technically you could make your own columns and put in more notes but it's set, you know, to, so that they're pulling out the information and putting the links to index the references to our application. Any more questions on the UI tool. No questions just a comment. I'm excited about getting access to this tool. I think that I'm okay with having it towards the end but I don't see anything wrong with making it available on SharePoint so those who are ready for it can access it. I think it's going to be extremely helpful as we move into discussions during the evaluation. Meetings that are scheduled for later in the month. It's really, as I understand it, a document that is sort of a 700 foot view of everything that we will be reviewing in the applications. So much appreciation to EY for putting that together. And so that's what it's going to be 700 foot view of materials. Is that what you just said? That's my that's my understanding of it. It's it's sort of an at a glance. I understand it as, you know, an index as it has already been described so that, you know, when we're in the middle of discussions, you know, I have paper copies of the applications. And so I probably, you know, have over 10,000 pages scattered around my home in the office. So I can, you know, put stick notes on every single page that I want to, you know, go back to in question and applicant on but, you know, in the middle of a day, right, for, you know, eight hours or more. It's not always a useful process for me. So it would be good to get this document to refer back to so that I can more easily reference particular pieces of the application or more easily find and reference more easily the pieces of the application that I want to dig into with the applicant. I think it would be helpful for us to have access to so that, particularly for as we get ready on the 19th so that we're not navigating for the first time. That's a good point. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, that was always the intent. I will have someone that can can walk, whether it's crystal someone three Y can work with the commissioner and how to navigate all the links because they, they do have within the spreadsheet you can, you know, click the link and then it'll take you to the to the section of the application. So if you're in chair. Yeah, so they'll be able to help folks with that. I do think we'll need it in a PDF for our meeting. So I assume the links will be live in the PDF. So I hope it's it's going to be available somewhere in an Excel document. I had requested it be available both ways. This is going to be. Okay, an Excel sheet during the middle of the meeting will be trickier for me but whatever. The information will be the same it'll just be however people prefer to use it so we will have it both ways I'd already requested as it will go in the packet to. Yes. And that obviously for the packet the PDF makes more sense but it's this it'll be the same information in the same way. Okay, great. Thanks any other questions. No, just a thank you to Crystal and Karen for putting all of this together. Right. Anything else. Okay. Any other business. 330 guys. Nice to have a happy happy new year. Everybody won't be convening until after the new year in 2023. I wish you all the very, very best. You and your families. To adjourn. Second. Okay. Commissioner Brian. Hi. Happy new year everybody. Commissioner Hill. Very happy new year to everybody. Hi. Mr. Skinner. Hi. And commissioner Maynard. Hi.