Here are the top-five things you need to know about Massachusetts sports betting and MA online sports betting apps. 1) Is Massachusetts Sports Betting Legal? Massachusetts has been slow to fully legalize sports gambling, but that is not out of distaste for the industry. Rather, the state is taking a slow and steady approach to legalizing sports.

Massachusetts may not only legalize sports gambling. The state may eventually become a new hub for online sports wagering.

1. The new bill will authorize legal sports betting in Massachusetts for three in-state casinos, horse racing tracks, one slot parlors and as many as five operators that will only operate online. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will be tasked with writing the actual rules when it comes to legal sports betting in the state, but they will be.
2. Specifically, sports betting has a champion in Sen. Brendan Crighton, who has fought for legal sports betting in the state for several years. The legislation on the table now will include requirements like an application fee of $10 million for each operator, a 15% revenue tax for both online and retail operations, and bans on collegiate betting.
3. The History of Online Sports Betting in Massachusetts. Historically sports betting has always been illegal in Massachusetts, both online and in brick and mortar casinos. However, in 2014 a political discussion began to address the millions of dollars believed to be leaving the state via wagers at offshore online betting sites.
4. Complete Guide to Massachusetts Sports Betting Sites. Massachusetts, home to famous sports teams like the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, has one of the largest sporting fan bases in the world. As you’d probably expect, a huge number of these fans love to place sports wagers on a regular basis.

In January of 2019, Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a bill that would make Massachusetts the second state in the nation (following the lead of online sports betting in Tennessee) to allow online sports wagering that is unaffiliated with land-based casinos.

What MA sports betting could look like

Unlike most bills legalizing sports gambling, Baker’s proposal would ban any bets on NCAA sporting events. Currently, New Jersey is the only state that restricts betting on NCAA events, and that is only on teams from the state or events taking place within its borders.

Baker’s bill would allow residents anywhere in the state to bet from their smartphones or to place live wagers at recently-opened casino MGM-Springfield. The massive Encore-Boston Harbor is expected to open just outside of downtown Boston in Everett in June of 2019, pending approval by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).

The proposal would tax online wagers at a rate of 12.5 percent, whereas bets at live sportsbooks would be taxed at a rate of 10 percent. It is the fifth bill proposed by legislators in the state and one of three bills proposed in January, giving the House options to choose from if it decides to move towards legalized sports betting.

While there is pressure from Massachusetts residents and lobbyists to pass this legislation and compete with the gambling market in neighboring states Rhode Island and Connecticut, the groundbreaking nature of Baker’s proposal is causing some delays.

What still needs to happen?

Mass Sports Betting

In April of 2019, the Massachusetts House of Representatives delayed Baker’s bill (which included an overall proposal on the state’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year), signaling a more deliberative approach towards the issues surrounding sports gambling.

The MGC is also investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn that could delay the opening of the Encore-Boston Harbor Casino. The commission fined Wynn Resorts $35 million in April for the company’s role in covering up those accusations.

Officials of the Massachusetts State Lottery, which is currently only an in-person business, assert that the Lottery should also be allowed to accept online wagers if the bill is proposed. This adds a wrinkle that the House will have to consider.

There are powerful groups within the Bay State that are lobbying for the passage of this law, including Boston-based DraftKings. The owner of the largest Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform and online sportsbook, DraftKings has a vested interest in legalizing an industry that is currently thriving through illegal avenues.

Massachusetts legislators took a similarly slow approach in 2016 when deliberating on the legality of DFS.

Projected Massachusetts sports betting launch date

Sports Betting App Massachusetts 2019

While sports betting bills will be up for discussion during the legislative session in May, the House appears to be in no rush to make a decision. The House has until November of 2019 to pass any of the three proposals into law. If legislators decide to ratify Baker’s bill, there could be legal online sports betting available in Massachusetts sometime in 2020.