The company that operates Plainridge Park Casino has officially expressed interest in applying for a sports betting license, one of 42 entities to do so, according to the state Gaming Commission.

That doesn’t mean the state’s only slots parlor, or anyone else, is guaranteed a license under the new law that makes betting on college and pro games legal in the commonwealth.

The commission set Wednesday as the deadline to file “notices of intent” for the licenses to get an idea of prospective hopefuls as it tries to work out rules and procedures for running the new industry.