Massachusetts sports betting legislation remains stalled
Senators say sports betting legislation is not high on the priority list for this year.
US.- Massachusetts looks unlikely to legalise sports betting this year. Some senators say that although the House has approved a sports betting bill, it isn’t a priority for the state senate.
Senate President Karen Spilka told the State House News Service that the chamber won’t consider sports betting this year unless it determines that it has the “bandwidth” to do so.
Thirty states – including neighbouring Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York – have legalised sports wagering in some form, making supporters eager for legalisation to prevent Massachusetts from losing money across its borders.
Governor. Charlie Baker said in a Tweet in September: “We filed a bill in 2019 and again this year to legalize sports betting in MA – it’s time to act and get this done. MA is losing out to many of our neighbors on this one.”
House approval
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation authorising the regulation of sports betting in a 156-3 vote.
Representative Jerry Parisella said the legislation was expected to generate around $60m in annual tax revenue for the region and $80m in licensing fees, renewable after five years.
