Sports Betting in Massachusetts Still Under Question

Massachusetts Senate Sports Betting

Massachusetts Senate Has Yet to Decide Whether to Legalize Sports Betting Or Not

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 25 October 2021

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

See Full Bio

Massachusetts sports betting law is still in the Senate as they still haven’t decided whether and when to legalize it.

Sports betting legislation has stopped in the House of Representatives Committee. Legislators in the House of Representatives passed the bill and are now expecting from Senate to pass it.

It’s at the top of the agenda. I fully anticipate that you’re going to see movement from the Senate,

said State Senator John Velis.

For years, legislators have tried to approve sports gambling in the state. They looked at various plans, including this one that enables users to place bets on their preferred teams through applications such as Fan Duel and Draft Kings. Some sports gambling laws only permit to bit on betting shops such as bars or MGM.

Senator Lesser Believes They Might Legalize It in the Future

Mass Senate spokeswoman Karen Spilka previously admitted that the house “has no capacity” for sports gambling review, although much of the hard work of forming the rules and legislation has previously been completed. Currently, Senator Eric Lesser said that the council is still discussing the implementation of user safety standards. Boston Business Journal notes that the House-funded gambling act belongs to the Senate council and is the subject of “active debate” but has no resolution.

Lesser also said that they are working hard to naturally balance the enjoyment of sports gambling with some things to keep in mind while playing. And as with any bill, it is necessary to work with members of the House of Representatives on their various affairs and concerns. If there is harmony, if they get the impression that they have reached that point, he is sure that something will change.

No Approval Timeframe

The issues to be addressed by Massachusetts Senate legislators have been solved by more than 30 states (plus Puerto Rico and Washington DC) to legalize sports betting in one form or another. Lesser mentioned there are issues about some of the terms that were added with the House report. It includes the use of debit cards for online gambling. Since the state’s act already has banned debit card usage at its casinos, incorporating them into online gambling laws looks like a straightforward procedure.

The council has also faced trouble with college sports. Some members are in favor of allowing betting on college games, but others are opposite this decision.

Massachusetts 1st talked about legal sports gambling in 2018, but it has been happening every year since then. The law will delay by only over 2 weeks. And if nothing is done soon, progress will take until 2022. Legislators acknowledge that they are slow to respond, but they don’t want to be more enthusiastic about it. When Questioned if the council could answer before the conclusion of the present assembly, Eric Lesser only said that the House of Representatives is “approaching” and will not announce the final objects of the Senate.