Massachusetts House to Consider Sports Betting Bill This Week

The sports betting industry is making progress globally, and Massachusetts might become the next big stage. The state will assess a bill this week, which can legalize sports betting throughout the state. Among the proposals supporting the bill, one suggests that it can generate over 70 million dollars in state tax revenue.

Ron Mariano (Speaker’s Spokesperson) stated that the authorities conducted a meeting the previous Thursday to debate the bill. The 38-page long bill aims to legalize betting on college and professional sports events, barring any wagers related to individual athlete’s performance. If the bill passes, users above 21 years can bet on esports, races, competitive gaming events, and other events approved by the Gaming Commission. However, fantasy sports do not fall under the bill.

The House received the bill before Thursday’s session and held an extensive debate on its approval. Reputed Jerald Parisella (a Democrat from Beverely) said many people are anxious to get the bill approved. The democrat is delighted to have a say in its approval and intends to pass it. Parisella is among the executives within the economic development committee debating the bill’s future.

The committee approved Senator Eric Lesser’s bill to the Senate that offers different license fees in the industry. Lesser, who is also a part of the committee, stated his delight in working on progressive dealings. Lesser is excited to see how the House receives the proposal.

No conclusive signs are indicating whether the House will pass the bill or not. Like every other proposal, the bill is offering three types of sports betting licenses:

• The first will be for casinos
• The second one for race tracks
• The final one for mobile applications running virtual sportsbooks

Mobile partners and retail operators can score a total of 11 sports betting licenses, increasing the state tax revenue by 70 million dollars solely on licensing and application fees. Parisella added that the bill would allow casinos to apply for a license, adding up to three mobile-based operators. The number goes down to one operator for race track operators.

If the bill passes, the state will also allow mobile operators to get licenses as individual entities without any limit on mobile licenses. However, according to Parisella, there are not many mobile-based operators that will leverage the option.

While mobile operators can function independently, the state has not seen such trends with racetracks and casinos. Parisella added that some states have already provided the option, but mobile operators have not capitalized on it.

Back in 2020, House leaders keenly pushed the bill, making it an immense economic development bill. The Senate rejected the proposal back in July, saying it was not the ideal vehicle for legalization. After months of negotiations, lawmakers are considering the bill, given it should not mention sports betting anywhere.