Impasse Crisis Intensifies: As Deadline Nears, Massachusetts Legislators Remain Deadlocked
Massachusetts lawmakers are racing against the clock to legalize sports betting before July 31, a critical date for a conference committee tasked with reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The stakes are high for the state, home to DraftKings, one of the nation's leading mobile sports betting companies, who stand to benefit from a new revenue stream.
Stakeholders, including sports teams, casinos, and the state gaming commission, have voiced their support for legal sports betting, urging lawmakers to capitalize on the opportunity. The ongoing debate highlights the complex and politically charged path to legalization. This week alone, Senate President Karen Spilka expressed her opposition to including college sports in the bill, the gaming commission shared preliminary results of an impact study, and casinos wrote another letter detailing financial losses due to the state's inaction.
College sports remain a divisive issue, with the Senate version of the bill prohibiting betting on college sports. In an interview with WBUR, Spilka explained that college presidents and athletic directors have voiced their concerns, urging lawmakers to exclude college betting from the bills. In contrast, House Speaker Ron Mariano expressed reluctance to turn over college sports to the black market. Both leaders are not on the conference committee, suggesting that a compromise may be difficult to reach.
Operators in New York and Connecticut have already started offering wagering on the NFL, putting pressure on Massachusetts to act swiftly. Out of the state's five border states, four now offer live wagering, both in-person and digital. The latest "news" in Massachusetts is a letter sent by casinos detailing the financial impacts of the state's inaction, including losing tax dollars, allowing the black market to thrive, and sending residents and tourists across the border to bet.
The conference committee must resolve several issues, including tax rates, the number of mobile platforms, the allowance of credit card deposits, and the stipulation for brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at professional sports venues. The Senate bill allows for a limited number of mobile platforms, while the House version permits untethered digital platforms and awards retail licenses to two racetracks.
The Senate version's ban on college wagering has generated the most attention. However, Massachusetts has taken a cautious approach to college sports betting, with regulations in place to protect amateur sports integrity. The state allows betting on out-of-state college teams but not on games involving in-state teams unless they are participating in a major tournament. Up to 15 online (mobile) sports betting licenses are available in Massachusetts, with seven standalone licenses and additional licenses for casinos and racetracks. Retail sportsbooks at casinos and racetracks launched on January 31, 2023, while online sports betting commenced on March 10, 2023. The legal gambling age for sports betting in Massachusetts is 21.
As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on the conference committee to see if they can strike a deal and legalize sports betting in Massachusetts before the end of the session.
- The stakes for Massachusetts, home to DraftKings, a leading mobile sports betting company, are high, as they stand to benefit from a new revenue stream if sports betting is legalized.
- The Senate version of the bill, which prohibits betting on college sports, has generated much attention, with college presidents and athletic directors urging lawmakers to exclude college betting from the bills.
- Operators in neighboring states have already started offering wagering on the NFL, putting pressure on Massachusetts to act swiftly and legalize sports betting to avoid losing tax dollars and sending residents and tourists across the border to bet.
