Massachusetts House and Senate Democrats eventually reached a deal early Monday to advance legislation legalising betting on professional and college sports. The Massachusetts Senate approved the sports betting bill on April 28; however, it has several differences from the bill passed by the House in 2021, which will have to be reconciled before sports betting is legalised. The sports betting bill gives the green light for legal sports betting, whether online or at retail locations, has space for many potential licenses, and calls for a 20% tax rate. Legislation legalising sports betting makes Massachusetts the 36th state in the United States to legalise sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association.
Many operators who already provide daily fantasy sports in the state, like DraftKings and FanDuel, would be in a prime position to offer sports betting and casino games should they be legally approved. If sports betting is legalised in Massachusetts, you can expect to see a lot of future betting by Massachusetts punters, with bets placed on whether the Boston Red Sox will win another title, American League pennant, or the AL East, as well as bets placed on individual games.
The exact timeline of when the first wagers are placed remains uncertain, as a compromise bill grants sweeping powers to the Massachusetts gaming commission to implement, regulate, and enforce legal sports betting. Eric Lesser, who helped negotiate the sports betting bill, said he hopes that a new industry will be in place by the fall. According to the new law, the commission is responsible for regulating sports betting, and its staff has already identified 225 regulations that will need to be created. Sen. Eric Lesser said his goal was to legalise sports betting in Massachusetts this year. The goal became a reality when the state legislature reached a deal shortly before the current legislative session ended on July 31, 2022.
Charlie Baker, an avid proponent of sports betting in Massachusetts, put pen to paper nine days after a state-sponsored sports-betting bill was approved. Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill to legalise sports betting Wednesday. He formally joined the wave of states moving to permit wagering on everything from the Super Bowl to college sports after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018.
In accordance with the law Baker signed, those 21 years of age or older may wager on most collegiate sports and professional sports in the state’s casinos, slot machines, simulcasting venues, and via mobile platforms. Except when the team is participating in a competition involving at least three other teams, betting on Massachusetts colleges or universities is prohibited.
