Mass Sports Betting
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- Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill
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- Mass Sports Betting News
- Mass Sports Betting Bill
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions. Charlie Baker (R-Mass) said he believed his state could have sports betting operational by mid-2020. But some politicians there.
Mass Senate Sports Betting
- Massachusetts Help is on the way for bettors in the state of Massachusetts. While many of the state's residents have already found solace in online betting due to the state's relatively relaxed laws on betting, those that have been waiting for brick and mortar options will soon have two brand new casinos in the state.
- The proposal is the most recent try and legalize sports activities betting in Massachusetts two years after a U.S. Supreme Courtroom courtroom ruling allowed states to supply wagering. Below his plan, sports activities betting can be regulated by the state Gaming Fee and operators can be taxed at 15% for retail and on-line gross sales.
Massachusetts is one of the many states looking to move forward with sports betting in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court ruling that it’s up to the states to regulate online sports betting. With Massachusetts’ history with gambling dating back to the 1930s and dog racing, Tribal casinos and plans for commercial casinos, it only makes sense for the state to keep its residents safe from offshore sites by legalizing online and live wagering in the state.
Massachusetts Sports Betting Legislative Landscape
Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill
While there have been several sports betting proposals over the past year in Massachusetts, the plan set forth by Governor Charlie Baker seems to be gaining the most traction. Governor Baker recently said:
“Expanding Massachusetts’ developing gaming industry to include wagering on professional sports is an opportunity for Massachusetts to invest in local aid while remaining competitive with many other states pursuing similar regulations.”
So here is a quick summary of what Baker’s proposal would look like moving forward:
- Sports betting would be offered at all full fledged casinos and their solitary slots parlors
- Casinos and slots parlors would be required to operate an onsite sports wagering lounge
- There is still one more available brick and mortar casino license in the state, and that casino would be able to offer sports betting as well
- Sports betting license holders would be able to offer online and mobile sports betting
- Stand alone online mobile wagering would be available for companies that don’t have a brick and mortar casino license (example: Draftkings and Fanduel)
- Retail sports wagering would be taxed at 10% while online/mobile would be taxed at 12.5%
- An application for a sports betting license would cost $100,000, and a $500,000 fee every 5 years after being approved
- Sports betting would only be offered on professional sporting events. This caveat would exclude all college, amateur and high school sports.
PASPA
Sports betting is exploding in the United States ever since PASPA, a 30 year old law that essentially outlawed sports betting in all but a few states, was deemed unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. New Jersey led the fight and was primed and ready to go, launching sports betting almost immediately after the May 2018 Supreme Court decision. Since then, other states including Rhode Island, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Delaware have began taking bets.
Outlook for Sports Betting in Massachusetts
Sports betting in Massachusetts is looking like a real possibility. A strong advantage that Massachusetts has is that its Governor is leading the charge. This means that, unlike other states, we will not have much worry about the bill being vetoed when it reaches his desk. The Governors proposal is still just that, a proposal, and yet to be fully drafted into a bill, but the fact that he is excited at the idea of adding sports betting to the ever growing gaming industry is a huge boost to the chances of residents being able to place wagers on their favorite sporting events in the near future.
Governor Baker has also stated:
“Our legislation puts forth a series of commonsense proposals to ensure potential licensees are thoroughly vetted and safeguards are in place to protect against problem gambling and illegal activity. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Legislature to pass this bill into law.”
His proposal makes it legalizing sports betting easier than other states as it boasts one of the lowest tax rates at 10% for live wagering and 12.5% for mobile betting. The licensing fees are also very reasonable at $100,000 for the application and $500,000 fee every five years after. To put this in perspective, Pennsylvania has a $10 million application fee and a 36% tax rate.
While there has been a domino effect in the US, nothing seems to be more of a motivator than when a state sees a bordering state collecting tax revenue from online gaming and/or sports betting. With Rhode Island accepting its first wagers in November 2018, this will put added pressure on legislators to take action, knowing they are losing revenue when their residents are jumping over the border to Rhode Island to place their sports bets. FanDuel in New Jersey has stated that 14% of their business comes from bettors coming over into the state from bordering states New York and Pennsylvania just to place their bets and returning home before the game starts.
Governor Bakers plan includes something that no other state has done so far in the young industry of sports betting outside of Nevada. Bakers proposal would allow companies that don’t own a brick and mortar gaming facility to apply for a sports betting license. This would allow companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings (that are industry leaders in New Jersey, and both call Boston home) to offer mobile betting.
The state estimates that Bakers proposal would bring in roughly $35 million in much needed revenue over the 2020 fiscal year. This money would go exclusively to the Gaming Commissions local aid fund.
Sports betting in Massachusetts is looking like a real possibility in the next 6-12 months. With Governor backing, realistic tax rate and fees, casinos and industry leaders such as FanDuel and DraftKings on board, all the stars seem to be aligning. Be sure to check back with RotoGrinders for updates on Massachusetts sports betting.
Massachusetts Betting History
Massachusetts live gaming industry started way back in 1934 with the opening of Wonderland Greyhound Park and Taunton Dog Track. They were joined in 1941 by Raynham Greyhound track in 1941. Taunton was later closed and operations were combined in Raynham in 1981. However both remaining tracks were later closed in 2009 when dog racing was banned.
The lottery was banned back in 1833, but was brought back in 1973 to give the state some much needed revenue. Eligible non-profit organizations can run certain gambling games for fundraising purposes. These games include bridge, whist, bingo, beano, raffles, pull tabs and casinos nights. As of 2017, the state has reported $57 million in annual gross revenue for charities, with bingo leading the way at $25 million a year.
The first casino opened its doors in June, 2015. Plainridge Park Casino is a harness track racing facility and slot parlor located about 40 miles southwest of Boston. MGM Casino in Springfield opened its doors in 2018 and Encore Boston Harbor is expected to open in 2019. There are plans for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to build a resort casino near Taunton, but due to legal complications, the project may not open in 2019 as planned.
Massachusetts Sports betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Massachusetts?
Not yet, but we fully expect sports betting to be legal by 2020 in Massachusetts.
Where will I be able to place sports bets if it does become legal?
The plan is to offer sports betting at the existing states casinos and slots parlor and online/mobile devices.
What sports will I be able to bet on?
The plan will include professional sports only. This means no college/ amateur sports including the olympics.
What types of bets will I be able to place in Massachusetts
If Massachusetts follows the same matrix as other established states like New Jersey and Nevada, you will have a wide array of options such as:
- Moneyline bets
- Spread
- Over/Under
- Prop bets
- Parlays
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
Mass Sports Betting News
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.
Mass Sports Betting News
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.