Massachusetts does not presently allow sports betting, but that might change in 2022.
Sports wagering law was not approved by the Senate in the last parliamentary session, which concluded on January 4, 2022, at midnight. Legal gambling choices will remain a distance away for citizens of Massachusetts. There are four states that border Massachusetts that allow smartphone wagering in some form: New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Despite the fact that Boston is less than an hour’s drive from three other states, Massachusetts is missing out on tax money.
Sen. Eric Lesser says regulating sports wagering will be an issue as he campaigns for lieutenant governor. Senate President Karen Spilka, though, says that sports wagering will not be a major issue in this year’s legislative session. The governor of Massachusetts indicated he would gladly approve a sports wagering bill prior to leaving office in 2022, even though he is not running for reelection.
Legislators in this state definitely hear the cries of their constituents, who are die-hard sports lovers. Find out what’s happening in Massachusetts sports wagering by reading this page.
When Betting in Massachusetts
Although it’s not yet legal to place a bet in Massachusetts, it is important for bettors to conduct research on any potential sportsbooks. The reason for this is due to the fact that there are so many offshore sportsbooks available on the market. Therefore we recommend checking out sportsbooks accepting Massachusetts bettors before heading straight into the wagering fun. This will also ensure having a smooth experience when looking where to play. There’s nothing worse than having some free time to kill and having it wasted hassling through customer experience due to choosing a shady site.
What’s Happening in Massachusetts Sports Betting Scene Right Now
- 2022-02-16 – A whopping 28% of those placing Super Bowl wagers with DraftKings in New Hampshire had an address in Massachusetts, where legal sports betting isn’t allowed at all. They both expressed their support for legalized sports wagering on Super Bowl Sunday.
- 11 February 2022 – With no legalized sports wagering accessible in Massachusetts, gamblers will have to watch another Super Bowl slip them by. Fortunately, there are four border states where mobile betting is available. To gamble, a bettor just has to cross the border into New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or New York.
- January 31, 2022 – DraftKings had pledged $1.5 million to help the state of Massachusetts’ state gaming councils in their efforts to promote responsible wagering. DraftKings has made two pledges in prior years to support responsible wagering initiatives.
- 2022 January 19th — Eric Lesser, a Massachusetts state senator and a possible candidate for lieutenant governor, says that sports wagering is a top goal for his campaign. It was just a few weeks after Gov. Charlie Baker declared that he would not run for reelection that Lesser made his intentions known. He is among the most vocal advocates for the legalization of sports wagering and has a plan which would enable both brick-and-mortar and online sports wagering to take place in New Jersey.
- 12th of January, 2022 — In support of legalising online sports wagering, 90 entrepreneurs wrote a letter to 40 state senators. The pandemic-ravaged firms contend that only retail sports wagering would only further hurt their economic prospects because clients are likely to seek neighboring land-based casinos. They’re pleading with senators to take a second look at Sen. Adam Gomez’s S 264, which would legalize it, in the upcoming session.
The Status of Sports Betting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has put an end to legalized sports wagering. H3993 was passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in July 2021, but the measure ran into a bump in the Senate and couldn’t move further. After a number of sports betting, proposals were filed during the parliamentary session of 2021, the unexpected stop was disheartening. S269, another major legislation in the 2021 legislative session, also died in the very same month.
From January 5 through July 31, the Massachusetts Legislature is in session. There is opposition in the Senate to adopting sports wagering legislation in 2022, despite efforts by some legislators.
When Will Online Sports Betting Launch in Massachusetts?
At the earliest, it will be late in the year 2022. Legislators like Steven Howitt and Daniel Cahill and Sen. Lesser would have to start from scratch in the 2019 legislative session after both main legislative attempts in the 2021 parliamentary session failed. It’s not certain if they’ll be able to get the same degree of support.
The impact of the unanticipated government windfall in 2021 on the state budget in 2022 is likewise unknown. Online or otherwise, another year of budget surplus may result in a corresponding lack of action for any efforts to regulate sports wagering. After all, there were plenty of prospects for online sports wagering in 2021 due to both unsuccessful attempts.
Legal Betting Options in Massachusetts
Massachusetts does not have any possibilities for legal sports wagering at this time. If you go to a lottery store, casino, or racetrack in the state to gamble, you won’t be able to place a wager on sports since it’s illegal.
Traveling to Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, or upstate New York, however, changes the narrative entirely. All of them accept wagers from residents of Massachusetts, making it easy for them to place wagers on sporting events no matter where they are located.
It is claimed by certain online sportsbooks that they are able to accept wagers from all throughout the U.S. lawfully. As a result of this, there seem to be no lawful sites in the United States that can accept wagers from residents of every state.
When it comes to being paid, wagering with these offshore, unlicensed companies might pose a problem. They might opt to not pay out winning wagers or terminate the sportsbook without returning client cash without a license to safeguard customers.
No one in the United States would be able to sue to get their money back.
