Lawmakers have yet to bridge the divide between the Massachusetts House and Senate when it comes to finalizing the sports betting bill. The Senate version does not permit betting on college games. The House’s does, and Speaker Ron Mariano calls the difference a dealbreaker.
Still, legislators seem confident the differences can be satisfied to get the bill to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk before the session ends July 31. Rep. Jerry Parisella told MassLive he believes bettors can place the first bets for the Super Bowl.
“We’re losing out to our neighbors. New Hampshire has it, Rhode Island has it, New York has it,” Parisella, the House chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, said in his remarks at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States’ summer meeting. “So we’re really working hard to make this happen.”
The Senate bill also bans credit cards and limits advertising.
“I’m hopeful that we’ll get it done by the end of the session,” Parisella told MassLive. “I think a lot of people have an interest in sports wagering in Massachusetts. They want to see us get it done.”
Lawmakers concluded sports betting could produce $35 million in tax revenues each year.
“Every year that legal betting is not available, Massachusetts is losing valuable tax revenue to our neighbors,” Parisella said at the Friday council meeting.
He cited a DraftKings statistic that 30 percent of all Super Bowl 2022 bets made in New Hampshire came from Massachusetts residents who drove over the state line.
