Massachusetts Senate to debate sports betting bill on Thursday

Massachusetts’ sports betting bill is finally scheduled for debate in the state’s upper chamber.

US.- Massachusetts sports betting bill is expected to get a debate at the state senate on Thursday (April 28). The bill was unanimously passed by the legislature’s House of Representatives last July but the version that emerged from a Senate committee on Friday differs in several aspects from that which cleared the lower chamber.

One of the main differences in the bill that advanced at the Senate Ways and Means Committee is a prohibition on wagers on collegiate athletes. House speaker Ronald Mariano said that leaving collegiate betting out of any bill would “probably” be a dealbreaker.

However, the Senate argues that its ban on college sports betting is in line with a request from the presidents and athletic directors of the eight Massachusetts colleges and universities that run Division l sports programmes.

Another major difference is the tax rate. The House bill calls for a 15 per cent tax on mobile wagering and a 12.5 per cent tax on retail wagering activities. The Senate’s proposing a 20 per cent tax on retail betting and 35 per cent on mobile betting.

If it the bill makes it through the senate, lawmakers will have around three months to put aside their differences to create a bill for Governor Charlie Baker, who has supported the idea of legalising sports wagering for years.

“I am pleased to see the committee has come to agreement on a strong proposal and I look forward to discussing it with my colleagues next week,” said senate president Karen Spilka, according to WWLP. 

See also: Massachusetts casinos report revenue of $96m for December