Legal sports betting could be on its way to Massachusetts soon after four separate bills from four different sponsors were introduced in the state legislature this week. The bills bring various approaches to the table, some of them good, some bad, one of them allowing sports bettors to access online sportsbooks from anywhere in the state, as in New Jersey.
- The bill SD.908 would develop a “study commission” to evaluate options for legal sports betting in Massachusetts.
- The bill SD.882 would follow the New Jersey model and allow Massachusetts casinos to open sportsbooks and bring them online.
- The most interesting option — and the one that would give bettors the most options — is SD.903, introduced by Sen. Brendan P. Crighton. It would allow online sportsbooks to come to market separate from having to go through brick-and-mortar casinos.
This would open the door for online platforms like Boston-based DraftKings and FanDuel. Crighton has proposed that operators with existing gaming licensees pay a $500,000 application fee, while mobile platforms would pay $1 million.
Right now there are only three commercial casinos in the state, so without opening it up a bit as in Crighton’s mold, there might be few options for bettors.
And now on Thursday, Sen. Michael Rush submitted a fourth bill was that would require sportsbooks to use “official league data” starting in 2020 and also includes the loathesome “integrity fee” — paying leagues 0.25 percent of all betting handle off the top, in return for nothing.
DraftKings has been preparing for Massachusetts
DraftKings began campaigning in its home state late in 2018 in anticipation of sports betting coming to Massachusetts this year. In October, DraftKings kicked off a Boston-centric social-media campaign, while also increasing its public relations and lobbying efforts in Massachusetts.
Home field advantage?
Massachusetts does not currently have any Indian casinos, though there are two federally recognized tribes interested in offering gaming on their land. The state’s first commercial casino, MGM Springfield, opened in August, and Massachusetts is hoping to have four commercial casinos up and running in the next few years.
DraftKings will have a big advantage if SD.908 is passed because it can have its mobile/online sportsbook operating soon after its license is approved by the State Gaming Commission. It’s leading the pack in New Jersey, although not without controversy related to a recent high-stakes contest.
As Chisholm points out, DraftKings employs a lot of people in the state and pays state taxes, so perhaps that curry favor for the local guys.
DraftKings has already said it plans to apply for state operating licenses if and when they become available. And if Sen. Crighton ‘s bill is the one that makes it to legislation, it might set a precedent for treatment of online/ wagering sportsbook in other states. Update: Home field advantage indeed.