1. Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill
2. Massachusetts Sports Betting Latest News
3. Ma Sports Betting Legislation
4. Mass Legalized Sports Betting

Massachusetts may not only legalize sports gambling. The state may eventually become a new hub for online sports wagering. MA Online Sports Betting FAQ The state does have legal retail casinos for betting, but online casinos are still currently illegal. Sports betting and Massachusetts online sportsbooks are not yet legal. However, there is thought that the need to keep up with surrounding states will push online casinos and sports betting.

1. The laws regarding online sports betting in Massachusetts can be a bit confusing in terms of the legality. The basic thing to know is that betting on sports either with live bookies or at online.
2. Massachusetts senator re-files sports betting proposal. 'Looking at the states around us, folks are going to bet on sports whether or not we legalize this, but right now the money's going to the black market and to other states,' Sen. Brendan Crighton said. Under Crighton's bill, people over the age of 21 could place bets on sporting events at the state's casinos, slots parlors and simulcast facilities.

Over the next few weeks, regulators at the Mass. Gaming Commission expect to be briefed on the proposals filed on Beacon Hill related to sports betting and could get an update on a commission effort to refile a bill that would change the way horse racing is managed.

Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill

The sports betting bills that Gov. Charlie Baker and Sen. Brendan Crighton filed last month, and many others that have been filed since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to legalize the activity, would put the Gaming Commission in charge of licensing and overseeing sports betting operators in Massachusetts.

The commission has not participated in the drafting of any sports betting bills but has been studying the issue for years in anticipation of it being made legal here.

Massachusetts Sports Betting Latest News

During an agenda-setting meeting Wednesday, commission staffers said they could provide a rundown of the various sports betting proposals that will be before the Legislature this session and what new responsibilities they would put in the commission’s lap at one of the panel’s next two meetings.

In 2018, the commission prepared a white paper on sports betting to highlight key considerations for lawmakers and to map out how the Legislature might think about introducing another new form of gambling in the Bay State.

The commission could also get a report in the coming weeks, general counsel Todd Grossman said Wednesday, on the effort that’s been underway by a small group at the Gaming Commission to “draft legislation to create a new Chapter 128D to overhaul the racing” aspect of the commission’s responsibilities.

Over the years, lawmakers have extended the racing and simulcasting laws for a year at a time, often waiting until just before or after the deadline to pass extensions.

In 2018 and 2019, lawmakers missed the deadline, and racing and simulcasting were briefly illegal in Massachusetts.

For about five years, the commission has been asking lawmakers to give serious consideration to giving it broader powers to regulate the racing industry and put an end to one-year extensions of racing and simulcasting authority.

The commission’s legislation did not gain traction with lawmakers in previous sessions.

Last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic upended most plans on Beacon Hill, Sen. Paul Feeney told the News Service that he and Rep. Tackey Chan were working on “a comprehensive bill that addresses all of these issues” and that would allow the Legislature to “stop this dance” of extending licenses every few months.

Under the most recent extension, horse racing and simulcast wagering are legal in Massachusetts until the end of July 2021.

(Copyright (c) 2020 State House News Service.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has introduced a sports betting bill. HD678 proposes a sports betting framework that would allow online sports betting via casinos and “on websites and mobile applications that are not affiliated with a casino,” according to Daniel Wallach. The bill also proposes to ban betting on all college sports and esports in Massachusetts.

Daniel Wallach continues to share a quote from Governor Baker: “The legislation also seeks to maintain separation between gambling and amateur and collegiate sports, and between gambling and electronic sports or ‘eSports.’ As a result, the legislation would prohibit wagering on these types of sports events.”

What This Means For Massachusetts

Governor Baker’s bill could bring online sports betting to Massachusetts in a meaningful way. And though the limitations he sets forth may serve to bottleneck possible revenue, it’s still a big step forward for the state.

The ban on college sports is the biggest limitation in the bill because it effectively severs a gigantic market from eager Massachusetts bettors. Other New England states have certain college betting restrictions, but they’re not as strict. New Jersey prohibits betting on in-state colleges (even if they’re playing in a different state), though new legislation may change that down the line. Nearby Pennsylvania, meanwhile, allows betting on all college match-ups, making it a prime market for college bettors. Setting aside other interstate differences like population, a complete ban on college betting puts Massachusetts at a disadvantage.

Ma Sports Betting Legislation

Esports, however, is similarly contested in various jurisdictions. There are several reasons for esports’ slow proliferation through the sports betting world. Namely, many players are under legal betting age (some are even too young to vote), and the space is so new that it hasn’t caught enough mainstream popularity.

Still, some operators in legal markets allow esports bets, adding an extra revenue opportunity from a growing branch of the sports betting world.

Mass Legalized Sports Betting

This bill was just introduced, so there will undoubtedly be more Massachusetts sports betting developments in the coming months.