Live, in-game sports betting at Massachusetts books is a dream come true for true gambling fans in the region. Unlike traditional sports wagering, live betting (aka in-game betting) allows MA bettors to place their wagers during the games themselves. It would also permit online betting on sports via web-based browsers or mobile apps when in Massachusetts. The law would limit the number of online sports betting licenses to five. However, the sports betting bill did not advance further by the end of a very busy legislative session. That said, its prospects had been favorable, and sports betting.

Sports betting is not currently legal in Massachusetts, but that could change by the end of the year.

Two of its neighbors, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, allow mobile betting. With Boston under an hour’s drive to either state line, Massachusetts needs to get its own betting laws on the books to keep tax revenue in the state.

The future of sports betting in Massachusetts

It seems the Massachusetts legislature realizes it needs to act quickly on legalizing sports betting.

The legislature is expected to explore legalizing sports betting in fall 2020. There were multiple attempts to legalize sports betting at the end of the 2020 formal legislative session through an economic development bill.

The House gave overwhelming support for H 4887, which included mobile and retail sports betting. But the Senate refused to include any sports betting language in its version.

There is an informal session that runs through the end of the year, however.

Massachusetts has multiple channels that could operate sports betting. The lottery, casinos, racetracks and online operators could all play a role in the market.

When will online sports betting launch in Massachusetts?

Online sports betting is not yet legal in Massachusetts, so it’s hard to put a definitive timeline on its launch.

If sports betting is legalized in the state by the end of 2020, online sports betting would likely be live sometime in 2021.

Recent MA sports betting and DFS stories

• Massachusetts is expected to pass a law that will make sports betting legal sometime this summer
• Governor Charlie Baker has already endorsed the idea and plans to sign any legislation that comes his way
• Bill will exclude betting on eSports, amateur sports, fantasy sports and the Olympics

Sports betting has swept its way across the United States over the past couple of years. More than 10 states have voted to legalize sports betting since the US Supreme Court voted to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act back in May of 2018.

New Jersey, which filed the initial lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of PASPA, became the first state outside of Nevada to legalize the activity after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision. Several states have since followed suit, including Pennsylvania, New York, Mississippi, Indiana and West Virginia.

One state that has been curiously quiet when it comes to the legalization of sports betting is Massachusetts. It’s a bit surprising considering Boston, the state’s capital, is one of the most sports-crazy cities in the entire country.

Five bills that would legalize recreational sports betting have been written in Massachusetts over the last couple of years, but those five bills have resulted in only one actual hearing.

Progress, At Last

However, the state finally seems to be willing to move forward on the matter. Recently, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies finally advanced a new bill that touches on the legalization of sports betting. Each of the previous five bills was referred to the joint committee, but none advanced any further.

However, after discussing the matter for over a year, the joint committee created a new bill to take the place of the previous proposals. The new bill will authorize legal sports betting in Massachusetts for three in-state casinos, horse racing tracks, one slot parlors and as many as five operators that will only operate online. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will be tasked with writing the actual rules when it comes to legal sports betting in the state, but they will be expected to follow the joint committee’s guidelines.

There are currently a pair of casinos already operating within the state – the MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. Plans to build a third casino in the southwest part of the state have already been given the green light. Penn National currently operates a slot parlor known as Plainridge Park as well as a horse racing venue.

A natural choice to be one of the state’s online operators would be DraftKings Sportsbook, which is already headquartered in Boston.

Specifics of the Bill

The new bill would grand permission to people to wager online or in person on pro and NCAA Division 1 sporting events. Some other details include a combined application and licensing fee for casinos, websites and slot parlors wishing to add legal sports betting to their offerings. That fee would be $1 million, and operators could renew that license every five years for an additional $500,000.

The bill will not allow bettors to place bets using credit cards, and operators will not be required to use official data feeds from pro sports leagues. Horse racing tracks will only have to pay $150,000 to obtain a license that can be renewed every year for $25,000.

The tax rate will be 10 percent for in-person sportsbooks and 12 percent for online wagers. Betting on the Olympics, amateur sports, fantasy sports and eSports will not be permitted.

Massachusetts Sports Betting Update

Back on March 12, the aforementioned committee referred the bill to the state’s House Ways and Means Committee and recommended its passage. The committee’s early estimations say that legalizing sports betting could generate as much as $20 million in extra state revenue on an annual basis, which would be an obvious boon for Massachusetts’ economy.

Sports Betting App Massachusetts Online

Passage Expected This Summer

Many expect the bill to pass through both chambers of the Massachusetts Congress later in the year. The bill currently has a deadline for passage of July 31. Governor Charlie Baker said last year that he would like a sports betting bill to be on his desk by June of 2020. So, it’s safe to assume the Governor will be ready and eager to put pen to paper on the legislation once the state Congress passes it through.

More than 12 bills on the matter were filed in the state’s legislature at the beginning of the 2019 session, but the matter stalled when legislators advised to take their time with the issue.

Sports Wagering Massachusetts

The new bill also features an “integrity hotline” that everyone, including athletes, team employees, and coaches will be able to use as a way to protect consumers. There will also be a self-exclusion list for problem gamblers. There is also a provision in the bill that prohibits specific types of sports betting advertising, including ads on vehicles or at public-use transportation facilities.