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Is Sports Betting Legal In Massachusetts?

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As it stands, sports betting is not currently legal in Massachusetts, but that might be set to change in 2022. The state is currently attempting to make progress on legal sports betting, and although attempts last year failed, 2022 could be different. Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island are four neighboring states that all allow mobile betting in some form. Massachusetts is losing potential tax money since three of them are less than an hour’s drive from Boston.

Charlie Baker, the governor of Massachusetts, introduced a bill that looked to bring legal sports betting to the state in 2021.

The bill, known as HD 678, aimed to find a way to introduce a regulated and safe sports betting market, just as many states in the US had already achieved. It is always best for a state when they are able to make money and taxes from casinos and sports betting, after all.

This bill included a $100,000 application fee for sportsbooks and a total cost of $500,000 for a license. This is a far cry from the $12 million that New York is believed to be seeking to operate an online sportsbook. Eventually, however, the legislative session ended on January 04, 2022, with the Senate failing to adopt any sports betting regulations. As a result, residents of Massachusetts will have to continue to travel to neighboring states in order to find legal betting opportunities. Alternatively, MA residents will have to look toward offshore betting options in order to participate in their favorite pastimes.

What Are the Chances That Sports Betting is Legalized in MA in 2022?

For now, sportsbooks will not be able to operate in the state of Massachusetts, which means that you will not be able to claim any Massachusetts sports betting bonuses just yet. However, this could change over the coming year. Sen. Eric Lesser, who will be running for lieutenant governor, has stated that legalizing sports betting will be a priority. Governor Charlie Baker, who is not seeking re-election in 2022, has also stated that he would be willing to approve a sports betting bill before leaving office.

With lots of sports fans throughout the state of MA, there is a lot of demand for legal sports betting. In January 2022, A group of 90 small business owners wrote a letter to 40 state senators urging them to support online sports betting. The owners, whose businesses are already suffering due to the CoViD-19 outbreak, say that retail-only sports betting would exacerbate their problems by driving clients to nearby land-based casinos.

In addition to this, there has been significant investment from sports betting companies into responsible gambling initiatives in the area. DraftKings recently made a $1.5 million investment to support state gaming councils in Massachusetts. This is the second time in recent years that DraftKings has pledged to support responsible gambling efforts, and it shows that there is a real desire from the platform to enter this market. With all this forward momentum, there’s a good chance sports betting will be legal in Massachusetts by the time 2022 draws to a close.