History of the Mass Betting Bill
It’s official, Massachusetts will pass a legal sports betting bill this year.
In 2018 the Supreme Court voted against a federal ban on wagers placed on a single sports game, leaving the door open to states to allow legal sports betting. Since then, almost 30 states have allowed sports betting in some form, with Massachusetts being one of the holdouts. In the early morning of August 1st, a big step was taken in the direction of legal Mass sports betting.
Leading up to the July 31st deadline, there was much spoken about the bill needing to clear both the Senate and House. There were key differences, including if betting on college sports would be allowed, and seemed like neither side would budge. In the end, the two sides agreed on a compromise deal with the below key features:
- Must be 21 years old
- No betting on local college sports (exception being if that team is in a tournament)
- Tax rate of 15% in-person and 20% on mobile for operators
- Credit cards not allowed to fund accounts or bets
- Some limitations to advertising not fully specified
- 9 licenses will be sold at $5 million each
The bill will now fall on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk, where it is expected to be approved without issue. Baker has long stated that he would approve any bill sent his direction to benefit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Considering the approval of college sports betting the revenue could be close to $60 million. This is a huge win for everyone in Massachusetts as that revenue was flowing across state lines. Every state bordering Massachusetts has legal sports betting except Vermont and Maine. Now that revenue can stay in state to benefit all who live there.
There is still no set date for an official launch as operators will need to enter a licensing process first. Lawmakers hope that Mass legal sports betting will be able to flip the on switch at some point this fall.
Sportsbooks Expected for Mass Betting Launch
When it comes to in-person betting, the casinos in Springfield and Everett have each announced they are ready to accept sports bets as soon as possible. Encore in Everett has a great sports bar area already set up where it would be easy to convert to a sportsbook.
Regarding mobile betting, Boston is home to DraftKings, which is also part owned by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Besides Draftkings, Wynn Resorts, owners of the WynnBET App and the Encore Casino are expected to launch as well. Other mobile betting sites will likely include sites like nationwide powerhouse Fanduel, as well as BetRivers, and other smaller Sportsbooks.
What are My Current Betting Options in Mass?
No need to wait for the Mass Betting launch! Residents in MA can already “bet” using Daily Fantasy Sports apps such as Monkey Knife Fight and Parlayplay. All of these can be accessed through The US Gambler’s website for exclusive deals.
What’s Next?
There is still no expected launch date but TheUSGambler will have you covered every step of the way. Check back weekly or follow our social media accounts for updates.