According to The Boston Globe’s Chris Serres, while at a forum Wednesday on Beacon Hill, legislators and those recovering from gambling addiction raised concerns that lawmakers have failed to closely monitor commercials and other advertisements that online gaming platforms use to attract new bettors.
Calls to the state’s problem gambling helpline have surged over the past year. Several anti-sports betting advocates even compared the harmful effects of gambling to the opioid crisis.
“If we don’t heed the lessons of the opioid epidemic, we will find ourselves in the very, very same situation,” said Keenan. “And if we don’t get out ahead of it, we will have a public health crisis.”
Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose New Limits on Sports BettingBettor Health Act Would Ban Prop Betting Altogether
In addition, the bill would ban prop betting, wagers placed on specific occurrences or non-occurrences during a sporting event. These types of wagers are not connected to a particular outcome of a game.
Prop betting is already illegal in the Bay State for college sports. The new bill would impact professional sports leagues like the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.
The bill would also limit how much people can bet each day and prohibit all sports wagering-related advertisements during televised sporting events.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose New Limits on Sports BettingThe state tax on sports wagering is already higher in Massachusetts than the national median of 14 percent. Increasing taxes on legal operators could lead to more residents turning to offshore sportsbooks.
Massachusetts bettors have wagered more than $13 billion on sports betting platforms since mobile sports operators went live in March 2023. If passed, this new bill could negatively affect revenue figures in the future.
Jose is an iGaming analyst with wide experience within the sector. He has been working as content writer on casino and betting websites for more than 10 years, contributing on websites like Pokerlistings, Casinobee, Betpack among others, sharing his insights and perspective for the future ofthe iGaming market.
