Massachusetts could still progress with its sports betting regulation this month before the legislature closes its business for the year. However, legislators are yet to have a consensus on college sports betting and mobile betting with credit cards.
Despite facing legislative setbacks here and there, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel for sports betting fans in Massachusetts. From the look of things, the Bay State still has the potential to give sports betting fans the happy ending they’ve been yearning for by the end of this year. Massachusetts’ formal legislative action is set to be closed by November 17th, meaning that there’s still a chance to pass the sports wagering bill introduced earlier in July.
The co-chair of Massachusetts’ Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Senator Eric Lesser, voiced his confidence about the progression of the sports betting bill during a virtual discussion on State House News Service on October 28th. From his statements, the senator disclosed that the Senate was close to acting on the said bill, he said:
Quote“I do think we’re getting close, but I do think, front of our minds and a big priority for me, is going to be making sure those consumer protections and game integrity issues are really front and center. It’s been something that many of us have been working on an almost-daily basis, and there’s very active conversations going on. It’s very much a live issue.”
Lesser, a Democratic Party Senator representing Longmeadow, is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 269 (S.269), a proposal that’s still awaiting a vote in the Senate budget committee since July. S. 269 is pending along with another sports betting proposal, House Bill 3993 (H.3993), which progressed to the Senate following an overwhelming confidence vote of 156-3 on July 23rd.
On October 28th, Massachusetts Senators squeezed in a vote on sports betting after finalizing a heated remapping of the state’s legislative district. The other pressing matter in the Senate was the approval of a federal relief and state surplus spending bill, which was passed unanimously the day before. The remapping and spending bill matters had been considered the top priority in the Bay State’s legislature, and now that they’ve been cleared, it leaves ample room for focusing on sports betting.
Divided Support for Sports Betting on Collegiate Sporting Events
One of the biggest stumbling blocks that’s delaying approval for the sports betting bill in the Senate is the question of whether to give a thumbs up to college sports betting in the Bay state. H.3993 has a clause that allows placing wagers on college sporting events, but there’s an exception that forbids wagering on the performance of an individual athlete. On the other hand, Senator Letter’s bill has a blanket ban on betting on any college sporting competitions.
Jerry Parisella, the Representative for the 6th Essex District, commented that the college sports betting issue could impact the revenue Massachusetts could collect from a regulated sports betting market. Rep. Parisella is a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies with Sen. Letter. In his argument in favor of collegiate sports betting, Rep. Parisella said:
Quote“(Sports bettors are) going to just continue going to New Hampshire, continue going to Rhode Island, go to Connecticut or use the offshore books which allow (betting on college sports). We want to give them a product that’s legal, that’s regulated, that provides consumer choice.”
Besides college sports betting, the other contentious issue in Massachusetts is mobile betting via credit cards. The sports betting proposal approved by the House would permit the use of credit cards for mobile sports betting by Sen. Lesser’s measure doesn’t allow that.
There’s Still Chance for Sports Betting Approval Even Without a 2021 Win
The Bay state’s legislature is set to close its formal business on Wednesday, November 17th, meaning that time is running out for the Senate to advance the bill. But, even then, it doesn’t mean that the hopes for sports betting in Massachusetts will be crushed for good if the two bills don’t progress by the end of formal legislative business for 2021.
In the Bay State, pending bills that are currently pending will technically continue to stay in play for another two years, meaning that both the Senate and the House can take more action on the sports betting bills in 2021. However, such a delay will end up pushing the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts much further, which will, in turn, put a lot of revenue at stake.
Massachusetts State Governor Charlie Baker has expressed his frustration over the persistent delays encountered in the legislative process of approving sports betting regulation. The governor has been a vocal champion of welcoming sports betting into his jurisdiction, and he even went as far as filing his very own legislation in 2019 and 2020.
As things are now, there’s still no way of knowing how soon sports betting fans in the Bay State can have a crack at placing wagers on their favorite sport. So let’s first wait and see whether there’ll be any action before the end of legislative business this year.
Discover football-themed casino games inspired by the 2026 World Cup - from live dealer tables to crash games and online slots. You’ll find new ways to enjoy this world-class tournament beyond sports betting.
Stake leads the way in adventurous advertising in celebration of football. Going beyond the scope of ordinary and bringing to life something extraordinary - A football match in the sky.
Looking for the best crypto casino bonuses? Discover the top 7 crypto casinos offering generous welcome rewards, free spins, cashback deals, and ongoing promotions.
Casinos
Games
Jackpots
