A poll of Massachusetts voters shows that politicians have been too slow to legalize sports betting in the Bay State.
The poll, commissioned by Plainridge Park Casino and Encore Boston Harbor, found that 61 percent of the 500 surveyed strongly or “somewhat” strongly support sports betting. Ten percent “somewhat” opposed and 14 percent strongly opposed the wagers.
Although the Massachusetts House passed a sports betting amendment almost a year ago, the Senate hasn’t spent much time talking about it, though the House has begun another set of hearings.
Both casinos have said they would like to set up sportsbooks if the bets were legal. Pollster David Paleologos issued this statement: “Massachusetts voters robustly support legalizing sports betting. This survey’s results show that sentiment is broad across all of the Commonwealth’s regions and demographic constituencies.”
The casino owners says voters want sports betting because of the expected economic benefits, reclaiming revenues that other states are now collecting from Bay State bettors, and civil liberties.
When taxes of sports betting are earmarked for K-12 education, support among the public peaks at 72 percent. According to Paleologos, spending more on education is “increasingly seen by voters as the most important public funding priority for new sources of revenue emerging from the pandemic.”
The House’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies heard five hours of testimony on June 17. Those who spoke represented casinos, sportsbook operators, simulcast facilities and professional sports teams. No one expected them to say anything new, and no one was disappointed.
Jennifer Thompson, town administrator for Plainville, where the slots parlor is based, spoke about small businesses being left in the dust by sports bettors who travel to New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Lawmakers also heard that a “significant” number of bets placed in those two states are made by Bay Staters. Rep. Andres Vargas said he sees no reason why a resident can buy a keno ticket for $35 in his home state, but can’t put that amount on a sports team at the same location.
Those who are going to bat for mom-and-pop stores argue that they should be allowed to have sports betting kiosks. One restaurant owner told the committee: “How much more can you do to hurt us?”
But casino owners argue strenuously that they should have a monopoly on sports betting. Penn National VP of Public Affairs Jeff Morris spoke in favor of tethering sports betting licenses to casinos, such as Plainridge Park.
Currently 20 bills that would legalize sportsbooks have been filed. The first job for lawmakers is combining the best elements into one bill. Lawmakers have until the end of the year to craft a bill.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Executive Karen Wells concedes that once a law is passed, there will be a strong push by the public to go live as soon as possible. How that law is written will strongly influence when that happens, she said.
Massachusetts-based DraftKings, seen as one of the main players in any sportsbook landscape, said it could be taking bets within weeks. Ayesha Molino, MGM Resorts’ vice president of public affairs, said MGM Springfield needs the revenue and has spent millions in anticipation of offering a sportsbook lounge. MGM projects that it could welcome 20,000 more customers during the football season.
