In recent years, many states in the US have already approved legal sports betting. However,
there are few states that are taking longer than others to do the same thing. Massachusetts and
Maryland are two of such states whose sports betting are delayed.
Massachusetts sports fans have been waiting with bated breath for the state government to
allow sports betting operators into the state.
This activity has already been approved by the legislators and the state’s governor. But, there is
a low chance that Bay Staters will access new sports betting sites in the year 2022.
Keep reading to discover the reasons why there is a delay in online sports betting in
Massachusetts, which online casinos are already operating, and the latest on Massachusetts
sports betting.
Article Content:
- Is sports betting legalized in Massachusetts?
- What is causing Massachusetts to lag behind in legalizing online sports betting?
- How long will sports betting in Massachusetts be delayed?
- When can Massachusetts begin legal sports betting?
- How sports betting will work in Massachusetts
- Which sportsbooks will operate in Massachusetts?
- Existing operators to offer sports betting in Massachusetts
- Legal online sports betting sites in Massachusetts
Is Sports Betting Legalized In Massachusetts?
Massachusetts recently joined the list of US states that now allow some form of legal sports
betting. The Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act was signed into law by Governor Charlie
Baker on August 10th.
The bill was widely backed by lawmakers, passing in the house by a vote of 36-4. However, like
most other states, Massachusetts could not allow legal sports betting immediately. Instead, the
state charged the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, to put in place the necessary
infrastructure for operators.
Dozens of eligible operators have promptly applied for Massachusetts sports betting licenses.
Although, none of the applicants have been approved by the state. According to reports,
operators may not get their approach until early next year.
What Is Causing Massachusetts To Lag Behind In Legalizing Online Sports Betting?
Legal sports betting garnered a lot of support from Massachusetts’ lawmakers, which is why it
might be surprising that the practice is facing a lot of obstacles in its path.
In 2021 too, a sports betting bill was also passed by House legislators, by a vote of 156-3-1.
Despite the large backing it received, the 2021 sports betting bill fell apart in the Senate
because of budget concerns. The same bill in the Senate during that session, also met the
same fate.
Presently, another bill has been passed by lawmakers who worked endlessly to pass it before
the end of the session.
Governor Baker signed the approved bill after it was given a go-ahead by the legislators. And
now many hurdles have surfaced which legal sports betting must overcome.
Reasons For The Delay In Sports Betting In Massachusetts
- Lack Of Infrastructure To Support Online Sports Betting
Like most other states in the US, Massachusetts also doesn’t have the infrastructure to support
online sports betting.
The Massachusetts Gaming Committee is working to establish a process for approvingly and
monitoring legal sports betting operators.
For now, in-person sportsbooks will have to hold off, until online casinos are ready to begin
operations. - Not Enough Licenses To Go Around
Operators were allowed by the MGC to apply for an online sports betting license, until the end of
August. The commission reported that 42 operators applied for a license before the deadline.
However, only 15 online sports betting licenses can be issued by the MGC. - Competitive Bidding For Licenses
7 out of the 15 total licenses to be issued by the MGC, will be awarded based on a competitive
bid. The three retail casinos in the “Codfish State” will be getting two sports betting apps each.
The two racetracks in the state, will be permitted to have online betting partners too. - Uncapped Temporary Licenses
The biggest hurdle faced by Massachusetts’ sports betting is temporary licenses.
Sports betting law in Massachusetts limits the number of mobile operators to 15 – the state’s
three casinos get two licenses each, the two racetracks in the state get a single license. Then
seven unclaimed mobile licenses that will be determined in a competitive bidding process.
The issue is that the law allows an undetermined number of temporary licenses, which is being
interpreted by the MGC as temporary licenses being uncapped.
Due to more demand than supply, MGC expects more than 15 applications for mobile licenses.
The commission states that it can’t make the decision to deny temporary licenses to qualified
operators, putting it in a tough position where it would have to approve temporary licenses, and
then deny many of the operators a permanent license.
Given the recent development, the MGC can wait for the legislature to resolve the discrepancy
between temporary and permanent licenses.
A competitive process can be created and the number of temporary licenses it will issue is
limited.
They can issue over 15 temporary licenses and determine a competition process to select which
sites would be granted full licenses and which wouldn’t get it.
Allow tethered online licenses (casinos and racetracks) to launch their online websites, while
delaying the launch of the untethered licenses until a fix is established.
However, the various options that the MGC has, won’t pacify the many eligible sports betting
stakeholders.
Waiting on a legislative fix is the worst-case scenario. This will take time and revisiting the law
could cause more changes than a simple cap on temporary licenses.
Following the competitive process route will also be a lengthy procedure. Furthermore, limiting
the number of temporary licenses could lead to lawsuits for the Commission, so awarding more
than 15 temporary licenses and then shutting down some sites.
Permitting tethered licenses to launch first would place untethered licenses at a competitive
disadvantage and might result in lawsuits. On that note, a retail launch, succeeded by tethered
online licenses and a process to award the seven untethered licenses, may be the most
straightforward route.
How Long Will Sports Betting In Massachusetts Be Delayed?
There are numerous prospective operators for the MCG to choose from to license. But, the
process isn’t as simple as it seems. The MGC is presently working towards creating regulations
for online sportsbooks operators to abide by.
After a meeting, the MGC asked that bettors exercise patience as the process unfolds. A
spokesperson for the Commission stated that other US states took as long as 8 months to
create regulations.
Hopefully, Massachusetts’ sports bettors won’t have to wait that long. The MGC and other state
officials are positive that online sports betting can be ready by the start of 2023.
There have been reports that Massachusetts could award temporary licenses in a bid to launch
before the NFL season. Unluckily, the MGC’s plan didn’t work out as Week 1 of the NFL season
was alright underway. Any more delays to the progress made by the MGC could put temporary
licenses back on the table.
When Can Massachusetts Begin Legal Sports Betting?
A hopeful estimate for when Massachusetts can begin legal sports betting is by early 2023.
Since state legislators have reached an agreement on sports betting, there are some things
that’ll happen before you can take out your mobile phone and make a legal wager in the state.
Now that the bill has been signed into law, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will have to
come up with official rules, receive applications from prospective online sportsbooks, run
background checks, and generally finalize some kinks in the system.
The Commission affirmed that it is ready to begin operation, but it will still take time. Saying that
they’ll launch by the start of football season, was no doubt a miscalculated stretch, but in the
past some states have gone from having a bill signed into law, to live in 3-4 months.
Therefore it is believed that the early part of 2023 is when bettors in Massachusetts can legally
start betting on sports.
How Sports Betting Will Work In Massachusetts
Now that the legislature has come to a compromise on sports betting in Massachusetts. It
would be a good time to examine what the house compromised on, the specifics of the bill, and
how the legal betting market in Massachusetts will be shaped.
Let’s look at these things.
- Tax Rate
The Massachusetts sports betting tax rate was set at 20%, which is quite reasonable for this
state. To compare, New Jersey legalized a low, operator friendly 8.5% rate. New York set their
tax rate at 51%, while Pennsylvania kept theirs at 36%.
Basically, the higher the tax rate, the more difficult it would be for online sports betting
companies to make profits. This can affect consumers in the form of less competitive pricing,
odds, and promotions .
Massachusetts may have landed at a healthy tax range with 20%. Bettors can expect a nice
balance that’ll favor online sportsbooks in Massachusetts, bettors, and state coffers too.
Additionally, the sports betting tax rate for retailers betting is a little lower at 15%.
- Betting On College Sports, But Not On In-state Schools
Punters can bet on college sports, but they cannot wager on in-state schools. This means that it
will be legal to bet on college sports from Massachusetts, just not on colleges based in
Massachusetts.
This rule is a common compromise made by states that have legalized betting up until the point
of approval.
While College sports are an important draw and shouldn’t be left off a betting sheet, there are
still concerns regarding placing bets on amateur athletes. This arrangement ensures that
Massachusetts sports bettors can still bet on college sports, but local athletes will be protected
from any gambling-related pressures that may arise in future.
For reference purposes, once Massachusetts has launched its betting market, you will not be
able to bet on the following schools:
● Boston University
● Northeastern
● Holy Cross
● Harvard University
● Boston College
And on any other MASS based college or University. - License
State casinos and racetracks in Massachusetts all qualify to apply for a retail betting license,
and to host in-person betting on site.
For online betting, it appears that there are only seven online stand-alone mobile licenses. All of
the three retail casinos in the state, will be allowed two online sports betting skins each, and the
in-state racetracks get one each. All of them added up, making for a total of fifteen online
sportsbooks in Massachusetts.
One important thing to note is that Massachusetts will not follow in the footsteps of Oregon and
New Hampshire, which have a lottery-run, monopoly style set up where there is just one online
sports betting option.
There will be several options for online betting in Massachusetts, which is good news. More
competition means there will be better promotions, better pricing, and overall superior online
betting experience for consumers.
- Credit Card Deposits Are Not Allowed
Massachusetts elected that the use of credit cards as a means of deposit for MA online
sportsbooks be banned.
In most US states, credit cards are ranked among the most popular sports betting banking
methods. This is because they’re convenient and easy to use by everyone.
However, the legislature went in a different direction. Barring bettors from depositing on credit,
on balance, seems like a reasonable decision.
Massachusetts bettors can use other popular methods to fund their betting account like bank
transfers, eChecks, wires, and in-person options like PayNearMe..
Which Sportsbooks Will Operate In Massachusetts?
Potential operators have already submitted their applications for a Massachusetts sports betting
license, backed with an oral presentation to the MGC.
Some familiar names vying for the MA license include FanDuel, Caesars, and DraftKings.
There is no way of knowing the operators that’ll be favored by the MGC out of the 42 candidates
that applied. But the Commission’s criteria for operators will determine. The MGC created 225
potential regulations.
These regulations covered things like the technology operators can use, to how players place
wagers . The Commission is using a three-tiered system to rank the importance of each stated
criterion.
Existing Operators To Offer Sports Betting In Massachusetts
Rachel of the three retail casinos that are already operating in the state of Massachusetts, will
be awarded two licenses for online and mobile sports betting sites, by the Massachusetts
Gaming Commission.
There are three land-based casinos that are already operating in Massachusetts. They are:
MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor, and The Plainridge Park casino.
Two racetracks – Suffolk Downs and
Raynham Park is also operating in MA, they will receive one license each.
Over half of the sports betting licenses will go to the five operators already operating in
Massachusetts.
Popular Brands That Might Offer Sports Betting In Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has stated that it’ll be reserving the remaining seven
licenses for new operators that will be completed by the state of Massachusetts.
So far, 42 prospective operators have already sent their application to the Commission for
approval.
WynnBet, Barstool Sportsbook, and BetMGM are three operators who already have sports
betting licenses in MA through their land-based casinos.
Prior to the deadline, other brand names coming to MA for one of the remaining 7 licenses
include:
DraftKings, a recognizable US sports betting brand, is already based in Boston. This operator
will have a lot of local support.
FanDuel and Caesars are also picked for favorites to receive a Massachusetts sports betting
license. Both sportsbooks have a wide reach throughout the USA and could boost the
legitimacy of the MA sports market. They also have enough cash to splurge on launching.
Other notable names include + PointsBet, 88, BetRivers, Bally Bet, Circa Sports, FOX Bet,
Unibet, PlayUp, theScore Bet.
Legal Online Sports Betting Sites In Massachusetts
These are some sports betting sites you can use to bet online legally in Massachusetts.
- BetUs
Bovada offers competitive odds on dozens of sports. They have a great customer service
department and an impressive casino. - BetOnline is another great sportsbook that comes highly recommended. They have lots of
promotional bonuses that are available to punters. It also has speedy withdrawal times on a
variety of banking options. - BetUS has good prop betting odds, great customer department, and an excellent odds
tracker.
Other sites are: Bovada, Everygame, and MyBookie.
Massachusetts-based operators may be delayed, but you can still find legal ways to bet on
sports online. Operators from outside MA, can provide legal betting options. Simply sign up at
a licensed operator that accepts bettors from Massachusetts.
Conclusion:
Dozens of states have put in place new sports betting laws over the years, which has in turn
facilitated a huge growth in the betting industry.
While they are itching to wager on sports from the comfort of their home state, bettors in
Massachusetts will have to wait till 2023 to join in on the action.
As sports betting regulations by the MGC are still pending, bettors in Massachusetts can read
through insightful beginners’ guides for sports betting, craft their strategy, and read other blogs
for sports betting.
