Massachusetts Bill to Crack Down on Sports Betting Advances

Big changes could be coming for the Bay State’s sports betting market.

The Massachusetts Senate Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies has advanced a bill to crack down on the state’s sports betting market. The bill, S.302, proposes raising taxes on operators and adding new restrictions to help fight problem gambling. 

The approval means the bill will now head to the Ways and Means Committee for review. 

Below are some of the most significant changes S.302 proposes to make:

• Raise the operator rax rate from 20% to 51%

• Ban on live betting

• Ban on all prop bets

• Prohibit bettors from wagering more than $1,000 per day, or $10,000 per month, without an affordability check

• Bettors are banned from wagering more than 15% of their linked bank account

• Doubling the funding for problem gambling resources to $2 million

• Ban on operators advertising bonus bets

Sen. John F. Keenan, who introduced the new bill, has been pushing for a crackdown on the Massachusetts sports betting market over the last few sessions. He has pushed for extreme changes like those in S.302, but has failed to find enough support.

While the bill’s odds of passing remain low, the early success shows growing support for changing the state’s thriving market.

Problem Gambling, Sports Integrity Drives Support

Keenan’s campaign to further regulate sports betting in the state was originally driven by problem gambling. Like the rest of the US, Massachusetts has seen a significant spike in gambling addiction and has been desperate for answers. The bill’s proposals would target the problem far more aggressively than other US markets, hoping for better results.

The other issues driving support for this bill are the integrity of US sports. Betting scandals have become far more common, touching all of the country’s major pro and college sports leagues. This has led fans to question what they are seeing in games, prompting them to stop buying tickets or subscribing to streaming packages to watch their favorite teams.

The bill’s proposals to ban prop bets and live betting would help address the rise of betting scandals and provide some assurance for concerned fans.