On July 22, the Massachusetts House passed H 3977;
July 22, 2021
an amended sports wagering bill that adopts provisions from several other bills that have been considered and creates 3 categories for licenses.
The three categories are:
- Category 1 (Casinos) – would have 3 mobile brands
- Category 2 (OTB/Live Horse Tracks) – would have 1 online brand
- Cat 3 appears to be an untethered mobile license
Other notable items include:
- Tax: 12.5% retail; 15% mobile; 1% tax paid to MA pro sports team facilities; can deduct promo play and fed excise taxes from AGR
- Fees: $100k application fee; $5m for 5-year license; Cat 3 licensees pay an additional $1m annual fee
- Official league data requirement is included for tier 2 wagers
- Requires a study to look at the feasibility of sports wagering kiosks at retail locations such as bars and restaurants and also a study to evaluate awarding licenses to sports teams.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate; however, it is likely that the Senate will pass a different version from the House which will necessitate a Conference Committee to convene and hash out the differences between the bills.
The Senate has not given clear guidance on when they will take up the issue, but it probably will not be until September.