- The Massachusetts legislature has until July 31 to pass H3993
- The Massachusetts State Senate wants to ban college betting
- Both the House of Representatives and the Senate remain unwilling to back down on this issue
Massachusetts residents are tired of waiting for the advent of new ones Sports Betting Laws. Between a spate of broken promises from lawmakers, divisions between chambers and successive delays, the dream seems out of reach.
A race against the clock
With less than two weeks into the legislative period, the state representatives are in a race against the clock. The 2022 midterm elections are upon us, and those who acted too slowly may risk losing their jobs in November.
Luckily, the state is closer than ever to approving legal betting options. Bill’s H3993 and S269 have focused on the ground.
The accompanying measures, which were adopted from the 2021 legislative period, represent the most important measure Legal Sports Betting in Massachusetts since horse racing was legalized in 1934.
H3993 was approved by Senate lawmakers in late April — but not without some significant changes.
Chamber split on legal bets
Changes included tax hikes for operators, banning credit card banking options for domestic bettors and new restrictions on sports betting advertising.
The most controversial of these changes, however, is the proposed ban on college betting. in contrast to others legal sports betting states That tracked small restrictions on betting on local college teams, the Massachusetts senators want nothing to do with it.
The problem has created a huge divide and could be the downfall of this legislation. Ultimately, the question is whether the increased collection rates will make up for the lost dollars at NCAA tournaments like March Madness and the CFP National Championships.
House Speaker Ron Mariano has said he would not approve a sports betting bill without including college sports. He and his colleagues fear the ban will leave millions of dollars on the table for anyone to grab.
In a comment to reporters, Mariano says:
“It’s hard for me to justify going through all of this to not include what is probably the most important factor to betting in the Commonwealth.”
Still, the problem with college betting affects more than just government revenue. Several top schools across the country have opposed the introduction of college betting, claiming it encourages athletes to cheat.
What’s next for residents
Opponents of such restrictions have often cited the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling against the NCAA. Now that college athletes can earn sponsorship money, some claim there’s no longer a need to cheat.
But that hasn’t managed to close the income gap for athletes without these kinds of brand deals.
Lawmakers have until July 31 to approve a bill. And with little update in recent weeks, it seems residents may have to wait another year before placing their stakes in the state.
But that doesn’t mean players run out of options. Massachusetts bettors can still access some of the best legal mobile sports betting apps without restrictions.
For more information on how to get started, go to our ribbon and start clicking.
Source: MassLive