Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has again called for the legislature to approve a bill that would legalize sports betting. He repeated his admonition during the Super Bowl on Twitter.
Baker Tweeted: “We filed a bill in 2019 and again last year to make sports gaming legal. Massachusetts is losing out to neighboring states on this, especially during big games.” He added, “Enjoy the Super Bowl, and let’s make sports gaming happen!”
Previously Baker said he would be “happy” to sign such a bill. Since his second term is ending this year and he is not seeking reelection, he is pressing to get it done before he leaves.
Prior to his last State of the Commonwealth address last month, Baker said, “There are many things that would make me happy before I leave office, if I have the chance to sign them.” He added, “One of them would certainly be a sports betting bill.”
He added, “I know it’s a difficult issue with a lot of elements to it. And it would be my hope, of course, that our colleagues in the House and Senate would find a way to get to ‘yes’ on that before the end of the legislative session.”
The Bay State’s three casinos, Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park, have all called for legalized sportsbooks. They claim the state is at a competitive disadvantage to other New England jurisdictions. Every neighboring state except Vermont offers it.
One fact that supports the notion that sports betting would prove profitable for the state known for its rabid sports fans: New Hampshire’s sportsbook operated by DraftKings reported that 28 percent of bets it took on Super Bowl Sunday came from Massachusetts. That’s two points higher than the year before.
Last summer the House voted by a large margin to legalize sports betting. The same bill is logjammed in the Senate. The legislative session has six months to go
In January Senate President Karen Spilka said that some senators want to vote for the bill, while others were “uncertain they want to do it.”
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is following these deliberations with interest since it would most likely be put in charge of overseeing sports betting.
MGC CAO Crystal Howard February 10 briefed the panel on several active bills. The House bill, she said, would add “a lot of complexity” to their job. It would, for instance, allow veterans’ organizations to operate a mini-casino with no more than five slot machines—but no tables. It would have to obtain a license, however.
The newest commissioner, Brad Hill, who served in the House until last year, and supported a sports betting bill, thinks it unlikely that provision would survive. He said, “So although they are talking about it, I’m not sure that it’s ready for primetime. And I would argue that probably when we see a bill … it probably will not include the veterans at this time because it is a complicated thing and this would really put our staff in a position to oversee that might be difficult for them to do.”
He concluded, “I think we’re really going to see something before July 31, and when it comes, it’s going to come quick. And I know the staff is preparing for that and have done a good job of getting ready should that happen.”
