Massachusetts Officials Vocalize Concern Over Delayed Proposals for Legal Sports Gambling
It's been a whopping three years since Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and state legislators got the ball rolling on over a dozen bills to legalize sports betting. Meanwhile, neighbors like Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island are already offering statewide digital wagering, leaving Massachusetts as the odd one out (Vermont being the lone exception).
It's no secret that Bostonians have been crossing the border to New Hampshire to place bets for more than two years. In fact, according to DraftKings, a whopping 28% of their Super Bowl weekend bets came from customers with Massachusetts addresses. Politicians have been chattering about their impatience, but let's imagine the frustration resonating in Boston, especially since DraftKings calls the city home.
On the weekend of the Super Bowl, Governor Baker made his feelings clear in a tweet:
We filed a bill in 2019 and again last year to make sports gaming legal. MA is losing out to neighboring states on this, especially during big games.
Enjoy the Super Bowl, and let's make sports gaming happen!
- Charlie Baker (@MAGovArchive) February 13, 2022
In a recent press briefing, Baker admitted that Massachusetts residents have been voting with their wallets on sports betting, traveling across borders to neighboring states. "We're working hard to get this done," Baker claimed. "Hopefully this is one of the things we get done by the end of the session."
Baker won't be running for re-election, but earlier this year, he did promise to sign a legal sports betting bill if it were to cross his desk before he steps down.
Wagering: A Campaign Issue
Senator Eric Lesser, whose running for lieutenant governor, is no stranger to sports betting, chairing the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and the Joint Ways and Means Committee. In January, when Lesser announced his statewide candidacy, he emphasized that "it's time to do something" about sports betting. Despite his campaign promises, he has provided no tangible evidence that the General Court is making any progress on the issue.
Massachusetts has become a genuine head-scratcher. There are no clear roadblocks or organized opposition to wagering, and there are no Native American tribes in the state asking for sports betting, meaning complexities like those that occurred in Connecticut and are currently arising in Maine are not an issue.
The state's gaming commission had previously commissioned a study, and DraftKings engaged in some early lobbying, while casinos have come together in support of legal wagering and stand-alone digital platforms. When the gaming commission's white paper was released, it projected that the state could rake in as much as $61.3 million annually in tax revenue from statewide digital wagering.
However, lawmakers appear stumped on how to reach a consensus on wagering on college sports, and there have been discrepancies between the House and Senate on tax rates and mandatory use of official league data.
"We've been concerned with the college athletes," Sen. Michael Moore told Spectrum 1. "How do we handle that? Do we allow betting on the games? What do we do with star college athletes?"
States across the country have handled college sports betting differently, from allowing wagering on all college sports to prohibiting betting on local college teams and events. Tax rates vary widely, ranging from 6.75% to 51%, while requiring the use of official league data in a handful of states.
Still No Clear Timeline
Massachusetts lawmakers, who wield the power to move sports betting forward, have failed to return calls from Sports Handle on this issue, and stakeholders find themselves puzzled with the inability to reach a deal. In the past four years since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, more than 30 states have legalized sports betting.
There are currently no sports betting hearings scheduled in Massachusetts, and no new legislation has been filed this year.
So, when will sports betting finally happen in Massachusetts? The answer remains a mystery.
Enrichment Data:
Massachusetts' implementation of sports betting has been delayed due to complexities including disagreements over specific provisions such as college sports betting. The state is focusing on regulating its gaming market, preparing detailed licensing frameworks for both sports betting and online gambling, and enforcing regulations against unlicensed operators to protect the market. The ongoing debates about expanding online gambling may further complicate the sports betting rollout [1][2]. According to a white paper released by the state's gaming commission, Massachusetts could earn as much as $61.3 million annually in tax revenue from statewide digital wagering [3].
- Despite neighboring states cashing in on sports betting, Massachusetts is still hesitant, with no clear roadblocks or organized opposition to wagering.
- In a recent press briefing, Governor Baker admitted that Massachusetts residents have been traveling to neighboring states to place sports bets and claimed they are working hard to get it done.
- Senator Eric Lesser, running for lieutenant governor, has emphasized that it's time to do something about sports betting but has provided no tangible evidence of progress.
- The ongoing debates about college sports betting and discrepancies between the House and Senate on tax rates and mandatory use of official league data have led to a delay in the implementation of sports betting in Massachusetts.
