Senator Eric Lesser Applauds MA for ‘Catching Up’ to Nearby Sports Betting States

• MA Senator Eric Lesser Talks with Media about His State Legalizing Sports Betting
• Massachusetts Gaming Commission Now Setting Up Regulatory Systems
• Lesser says MA Lawmakers Looked at Neighboring States for Sports Betting Examples

One of the legislative pioneers of Massachusetts legal sports gambling is state Senator Eric Lesser, a staunch advocate of this contentious issue from the get-go, the Democrat from Londmeadow who just weighed in with the media on that activity becoming legal there.

When asked during an interview how important adding a legal sports betting market is to the residents of Massachusetts, Sen. Lesser made it clear that it was a positive move on at least three levels, saying:

First, [legalizing sports betting] catches us up with the states all around us, which is important. Second, it just provides a new way for people to engage with their teams, and to have fun with sports. It also opens up a whole new industry for Massachusetts, which will hopefully drive some job creation, and also creates innovation.

Lesser’s optimism is backed up by solid evidence from the over thirty US states where sports betting has been made legal, now a multi-billion dollar industry that benefits gamblers who prefer regulated action, sportsbooks who need clients, and states needing that income stream.

The sports betting bill was signed by Governor Charlie Baker just last week, so there are still some major pre-launch steps that must take place.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Now Setting Up Regulatory Systems

It takes time to create a regulated gambling market since licenses must first be applied for and approved, fees paid, platforms created and tested, banking connections secured, plus the millions of other items that need to be checked off the list before that MA market can launch.

There will be betting apps as well as retail options to place sports wagers in person at the Bay State’s three casinos:

• Wynn’s Encore Boston Harbor
• MGM Springfield
• Plainfield Park (Penn National)

Also, Codfish State gamblers will be able to find sports betting action at current parimutuel sites at Suffolk Downs and Raynham, an exciting addition to the already fun locations.

According to Sen. Lesser, the state of Massachusetts is the perfect place to operate sports betting market, saying:

We’re the home of DraftKings, so we could also help lead to more investment in the sports tech sector. So, all around, I think it opens up a new industry, helps create jobs and, for most people, it’s just another way to have fun with sports and engage with their favorite teams.

To get the job done correctly, MA lawmakers had plenty of examples, good and bad, to follow.

Lesser says MA Lawmakers Looked at Neighboring States for Sports Betting Examples

In the same way a golfer watches the other putts to determine the best path to the hole, Massachusetts lawmakers watched the other US states that legalized sports betting before them in order to learn from them the best way to implement such a market.

One state, in particular, caught MA lawmakers’ collective eye, as Sen. Lesser explains:

New Jersey has a really well-developed law at this point, they were the first to legalize, and it’s a pretty well-respected setup that they’ve got there, so we looked closely at New Jersey. We certainly surveyed exhaustively what was going on in the 30-plus states that have legalized already.

Keep checking back for all the latest news and updates as Massachusetts gradually heads toward a solid launch date of their legal sports betting market.