As Massachusetts lawmakers face a deadline to work behind closed doors to pass major differences on a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state, the sports industry and others focused on gambling are anxiously waiting to see where it goes. the chip falls.
“All eyes in the sports betting business are on Massachusetts this week,” said Casey Clark, senior vice president of the American Sportsbook Association.
People already bet on sports in Massachusetts, Clark said. They are doing it illegally.
“And what this opportunity creates is a way to drive consumers to a safe, regulated marketplace where there are safeguards for responsible gaming, to help them understand how to do this so that, you know, it’s kind of fun.” people,” he said. “The illegal market that serves Massachusetts and other jurisdictions across the country has long had none of those restrictions or regulatory oversight.”
The sports betting bills passed by both the Senate and the House share many similarities — including allowing people to bet on sporting events on their phones — but the differences could cause a stalemate. Among the biggest differences between the bills is the issue of gambling on college sports. The House version includes college sports, and Speaker Ron Mariano said that is an important part of the bill, while Senate President Karen Spilka favored the Senate version, which would eliminate college sports.
Legalizing college sports betting complicates things, said Paul Debole, an assistant professor of political science at Lasell University, whose research has focused on the gambling system.
“Colleges have been taking advantage of student athletes for decades as a cost center,” he said. “College sports betting puts additional burdens on that system and requires serious reform. With mobile sports betting basically out of reach, how can we make sure there are people who aren’t taking advantage as well?”
That protection is possible, said Casey Clark of the American Athletic Association. And it’s not like college sports betting hasn’t happened already, he added.
“To bring out perhaps a very vulnerable player, a very vulnerable competitor, away from the regulated market and to keep all those activities in the unregulated market, is not serving anyone’s interests,” he said.
In a joint letter this week, executives from Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino urged lawmakers to send the sports betting bill to the governor for his signature.
“Today, 35 states have legalized sports betting, including the neighboring states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island, and no resident of the Commonwealth is more than an hour away from a state where sports betting is legal. available.” they wrote in the paper. “As a result, our competitors in these states now provide essential services and amenities that we are prohibited from providing in Massachusetts and capture the Commonwealth’s entertainment dollars again.”
Casino executives added that this resulted in tax losses for Massachusetts.
“Furthermore, it affects our ability to build our workforce, despite salary increases, signing bonuses and incentives, especially those in higher positions, choosing to work in areas that attract large crowds because of sports betting. ,” they wrote. “With less than a week left in the legislative session, we respectfully urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to level the playing field in this highly competitive industry.”
When lawmakers first legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts, they required casino facilities to have on-site staff to help prevent problem gambling. That program, called GameSense, offers resources for compulsive gamblers. It is run by the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, whose executive director, Marlene Warner, said she is concerned about what will happen if online sports betting is allowed without a software version for remote gamblers.
“[This] is the first step that Massachusetts is really taking to move online gambling,” Warner said. “That requires a fair amount of new approaches to responsible gambling, safe gambling practices. And so my hope is that the legislature continues to take it seriously. The House has put some That. The Senate is very far from the House version. So as they are in the conference committee, I hope those things lead to some of those discussions.”
As the state considers moving beyond brick-and-mortar facilities, Debole said state lawmakers should also make sure to develop a system that fits the existing casino.
“How do we tax mobile sports betting? Are all dollar bets the same? We’ve expanded into sports where there’s a 25% daily tax on casino revenue at Encore and MGM, and a 49% daily tax on slot room revenue. So how do we do that?” We are. Is the tax on sports betting going to be the same? If so, then I think there may be a reason for people who have casino licenses to want to review it, maybe it’s an equal protection problem, how to tax it, too.”
Lawmakers have days left to reach an agreement if they want to legalize sports betting before the end of the July 31 session.
