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Sports Betting in Massachusetts Laws & Regulations

Sports Betting in Massachusetts Finally Signed into Law

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 20 August 2022

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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It was recently reported that legislation relating to sports betting in Massachusetts had made it to the desk of the state governor, Charlie Baker.

Officials were not 100 percent sure that it would be signed into law, despite the governor’s previous support for sports betting in the state. However, last week the governor gave his signature, which makes legal sports betting in the state official.

In a recent post, WynnBET tweeted:

Sports betting is now legal in the state that knows a thing or two about winning! Our next step is applying to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to bring sports betting to the WynnBET Sportsbook at @EncoreResortBH and online through the WynnBET app as soon as we can!

The governor’s signature makes Massachusetts the third state to legalize sports betting this year after Maine and Kansas.

Gov. Baker only had one day left to sign the legislation, and his signature now means that the state can press ahead with getting the sports betting framework set up. This will be a real boon for the state, which stands to reap the financial benefits like many other states already have.

Much to Do Before Going Live

One thing that officials have reiterated is that there is a lot to do before sports betting in the state can go live.

There is no chance that it will happen as quickly as many hope – in time for the start of the football season. In fact, officials claim that it is likely to be next year before sports fans in the state can start placing their bets.

According to reports, it generally takes between six and twelve months to get sports betting up and running once it has been legalized and signed off. However, there are some states that have managed to get this process completed in as little as four months – even less in some cases. These include Iowa, Connecticut, and Indiana.

Once the legislation has been officially signed up, there is a tremendous amount of work to do including setting up the framework and regulations, getting applications in from sports betting operators, going through the approval process, and more.

So far, it has been decided that operators will be subjected to a 15 percent tax on retail sports betting, and the tax set on mobile sports betting will be 20 percent.

It has also been revealed that some sportsbooks already have market access including Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, and WynnBET. There are seven standalone mobile platforms up for grabs in total, two of which are likely to go to DraftKings and FanDuel.

Something for Sports Fans to Look Forward To

While it will come as a disappointment that there will still be quite a wait ahead before sports betting can launch in the state, many sports fans will be pleased that they have something to look forward to.

There is a busy schedule ahead once the autumn arrives, and while sports betting might not be available for the start of the football season, it could launch before other exciting sporting events such as the Super Bowl in 2023.