Massachusetts Senator John Keenan (Norfolk/Plymouth-D) is the primary author of the Bettor Health Act, a bill that would impose new limits on online sports betting and ban such operators from running advertisements during televised events. Two other state Democratic lawmakers support the measure.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose New Limits on Sports Betting 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.
Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose New Limits on Sports Betting Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose New Limits on Sports BettingMore importantly, the Bettor Health Act would raise the tax rate paid by sports betting operators to 51 percent of gross gambling revenues, up from 20 percent, in line with rates in New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island.
The 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.
