Last week a bill was released by the joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies that could see ‘adults 21 or older being allowed to place bets in person at the state’s casinos, slots parlor or live horse tracks and through web or mobile apps if they are physically in Massachusetts when they make the wager’.
Bill H. 4559 was advanced right before states commenced shutting down due to the Corona pandemic.
The Bill will allow bettors to place wagers in-person and online on professional sports and NCAA Division 1 collegiate sports. However, the Olympics, eSports and in-play college bets are excluded.
According to Colin A. Young of the State House News Service, regulators at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission would be given the discretion to write the actual rules for sports wagering.
Casinos and operators wishing to offer sports betting will be required to pay a combined application and licensing fee of $1 million, which will have to be renewed every five years for half of that amount. Racetracks will be charged an application/licensing fee of $150 thousand which will be renewable yearly for $25 thousand. There is also a 10 percent tax rate for retail and 12 percent for online bets.
The new Massachusetts Bill appears to have reached a compromise of allowing Resort Casinos to offer some skins but not an unlimited amount.
The Bill has been assigned by the Joint Committee to the House Ways and Means Committee with a recommendation that it should pass. The Massachusetts legislature needs to approve it by 31st July for this to happen. If the Bill gets passed sports betting could be up and running later this year or by early 2021.
