At a time when DraftKings, the Massachusetts online betting giant, seems ubiquitous — with nonstop advertising and a foothold in every major sports franchise in Boston — one storied institution, the Boston Marathon, has said no.
The state’s gambling commission on Thursday rejected the company’s request to allow betting on this year’s Marathon, following a stern letter opposing the move from the race organizer, the Boston Athletic Association.
During a public discussion before the 4-0 vote, the four commissioners present Thursday expressed various concerns, including the short timeline between the request from DraftKings and the Marathon on April 17, and what they described as the company’s lack of communication with the BAA about the request.
The proposal was “not ready for prime time,” said commissioner Bradford Hill, noting that the BAA’s opposition was a significant factor.
DraftKings had asked the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to allow betting on the Marathon’s top 20 male and female professional finishers. (The top 10 men and women earn prize money: $150,000 for first place, declining to $5,500 for tenth.)
The denial will have consequences for DraftKings far beyond Massachusetts, as the company had also sought approval for betting on the Marathon in every state where it operates. As of Thursday morning, three states — Oregon, Wyoming, and Kansas — had authorized DraftKings to accept bets on the race, a company spokesperson said.
But now those plans are on hold. “You won’t be able to bet the Marathon on [DraftKings] even in states where it is approved,” the DraftKings spokesperson said after the meeting.
The decision is also a rare, and perhaps resonant, setback for DraftKings. The company’s headquarters is two blocks from the Marathon finish line near Copley Square and DraftKings has pitched itself as Boston’s local sportsbook in its recent advertising campaign.
But in the eyes of the gaming commissioners, DraftKing’s Boston bona fides paled in comparison to that of the Marathon and the BAA, which are among the storied institutions in the city’s long and illustrious sports history.
“We have a request before us concerning our very own Boston Marathon,” chairperson Cathy Judd-Stein said at the beginning of the discussion. She also noted that the Marathon’s “governing body” — the BAA — was “quite local,” in contrast to the distant, faceless leagues — MLB, the NBA, the NHL — the commission more often deals with.
“I am disappointed to say the least” that DraftKings didn’t communicate in advance with the BAA about the proposal, added commissioner Eileen O’Brien.
After Massachusetts legalized sports betting last year, the industry debuted its first bets in January. In the first full month, more than $25 million was wagered on sports at casinos.
Meanwhile, DraftKings has tried to expand its reach and “make any sporting event something that people can bet on,” said the Rev. Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and gambling industry expert.
“I’m sure the commissioners are being a little sensitive about how sports gambling is exploding much quicker than they ever thought,” he said, adding that it was understandable that commissioners might push back at the idea of betting expanding into Boston’s marquee sporting event.
McGowan said he opposes betting on the Marathon: “For want of a better phrase, it’s a sacred moment that doesn’t need to be bet upon.” (Judd-Stein also noted during the discussion that this year’s race marks the 10th anniversary of the Marathon bombing.)
The BAA’s chief marketing officer, Scott Stover, warned Judd-Stein in an e-mail Wednesday night that there was not enough time to prepare for gambling on the competition.
“Until we can complete due diligence, our concerns include, but are not limited to, ensuring event security and potential influence on the outcome of the race,” Stover wrote.
He also raised a trademark concern. “The Boston Athletic Association has not granted permission to use this trademark in relation to this proposal,” Stover wrote in the e-mail, which was displayed during the Thursday meeting.
A BAA spokesperson would not comment on the DraftKings proposal. “Our focus remains on creating the best event experience,” the spokesperson said.
DraftKings operates in 21 states, including New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York. The company was instrumental in the passage of last year’s bill that legalized sports gambling in Massachusetts.
The company spokesperson said of the vote, “We respect the decision made by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and look forward to our continued work with them.”
The commissioners did not permanently close the door on future Marathon betting. “This isn’t going to be all for naught” for DraftKings, said Matthew Bain, a gaming industry expert at PlayMA.com.
“The commissioners did make prominent mentions in the meeting that this could be a thing in 2024,” he said. “We’ll revisit it.”
Mike Damiano can be reached at mike.damiano@globe.com.