The Bay State should have sports betting by year’s end.
Massachusetts now has legalized sports gambling but it will be a while before Bay State residents will be able to place any bets on Patriots, Red Sox and Revolution games although it is possible casino and mobile betting could be in place at the start of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins NBA and NHL seasons. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is reviewing more than 200 regulations ranging from licensing to technology standards to advertising rules to addiction safeguards. The Commission also has to hire staff for a sports betting division, as well as draft the regulations, review public input and formally vote on all the rules. There is not enough time between the beginning of the college football season and the National Football League season to get everything done. Massachusetts is the 36th state to approve sports betting. Massachusetts has a sports betting wrinkle. You cannot use credit cards to bet. Betters will probably need a debit card or bank routing number to set up mobile wagering accounts. Massachusetts lawmakers want to keep problem gamblers from going deep into debt.
Massachusetts legislators think sports betting taxes will bring in $60 million in state revenue and Massachusetts will get between $70 and $80 million from initial licensing fees. Licenses must be renewed every five years. In 2018, The Supreme Court of the United States struck down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act that limited betting on professional sports and college sports to just four states. Nevada has had sportsbooks since 1951. Delaware, Oregon and Montana had a form of betting. New Jersey voters said yes to opening sportsbooks in a 2011 referendum but the National Football League and other sports organizations challenged the legality of the New Jersey vote. In 2022 both government officials and sports owners have embraced sports gambling.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
