Massachusetts Gambling Council meet to discuss way forward on MA legislation

The Massachusetts Gambling Council (MGC) met on Thursday 20th October 2022 to discuss the proposed launch of online sports betting across the state. 29 sportsbooks have submitted surveys hoping to secure one of the fifteen online sports betting licenses that the MGC is able to distribute. 

The current legal situation in MA

Sports betting has been considered legal in MA since August 10th, 2022. As seems to come as standard once legislation has passed, sports bettors from MA now play the waiting game and find themselves in limbo awaiting an official launch date.

The Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act agrees on a 20% tax rate for online sports betting and a 15% tax rate for retail. The law also requires casinos and racetracks receive sports betting licenses, a ban is placed on in-state college team wagers and credit card deposits are strictly prohibited.

Alongside the above, the MGC will aim to authorize 15 online sports betting licenses. Eight of these licenses will be linked to a retail partner and a further seven will be available by competitive bid. An early October meeting suggested that the MGC could look to launch the retail sports betting scene as early as January 2023. Online sports betting would follow shortly after, in February.

Of course, Massachusetts has a fairly active gambling community already, offering retail customers the chance to enjoy land-based casinos, pari-mutuel wagering on horses, lottery and charitable gaming. Unfortunately, there is still no sign of our favorite online casinos opening their virtual doors but you shouldn’t have to wait too long to place your sportsbook wagers!

The future of the Massachusetts gambling scene

After their most recent meeting (October 20th, 2022), the MGC has confirmed that there is still yet to be an official launch date. However, the goal is still focused on launching retail sportsbooks ahead of the Super Bowl and online sportsbooks ahead of the NCAA March Madness. 

State Representative Jerry Parisella said sports betting is likely to “generate a lot of economic development” and that Massachusetts is “probably going to be one of the most productive states, in terms of revenue for sports betting.” Current figures suggest that The Bay State could receive at least $70 million from gaming licenses alone and another $70 million from projected revenue!As already mentioned, 29 sportsbooks have submitted surveys in the hopes of securing an MGC online sports betting license and becoming one of 15 potential online sportsbooks to open their doors to the MA sports betting scene. Amongst the front-runners are some of the best bookmakers online, including DraftKings, WynnBet, Barstool Sportsbook and BetMGM.

With that being said, the MGC has already rejected DraftKings’ proposed joint launch of both its retail and online offerings. Although DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, it does not have a retail site open like any of the other sportsbooks previously mentioned!

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