Obstacles in Way of MA Sports Betting Bill
Last year, sports betting bill passed the House, but stalled in the Senate. Aside from policy disagreements between the chambers (see below) the Senate President continues to voice her personal opposition for gambling expansion to moving a bill last year, but she has left the door open for discussion later this session.
Another obstacle is the organized effort of local small businesses (bars/restaurants) that are seeking to be included in the bill to offer retail sports betting. They could have an outsized impact on the debate in an election year since they represent local businesses and employees in nearly every legislative district.
There are several areas of dissention between the House / Senate including: collegiate betting; tax rate; credit card ban; official league data; integrity fees, and market access.
iDEA has been speaking to key Senators including Lesser and Rodrigues, and providing our perspective on several of the outstanding issues.
Our next meeting is not scheduled until mid-February, which means that the Senate is still taking a deliberate approach to sports wagering.