'All eyes in the sports-betting business' on Massachusetts as lawmakers seek compromise bill

FILE - Marcia Pappas Devaney, second from right, reacts after placing a $5 bet on major league baseball at Dover Downs Casino in Dover, Delaware, June 5, 2018. Delaware was the first state to launch legal sports.

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Craig Lemoult is a reporter for GBH News. Have a comment? Question? Story idea? Write to me at craig_lemoult@wgbh. org.

July 26, 2022 Updated July 27, 2022

In Massachusetts, lawmakers are working behind closed doors to overcome major differences as a deadline looms over a bill that would legalize sports betting.

"All eyes in the sports betting business are on Massachusetts this week," says Casey Clark, senior vice president of the American Gaming Association.

Sports betting is already available in Massachusetts. They're just doing it illegally.

"And what this opportunity creates is a way to steer consumers to safer, regulated markets where there are protections for responsible gambling and help people understand how to gamble as a form of entertainment," he said. "The illegal market, which has long operated in Massachusetts and other jurisdictions across the country, doesn't have that same regulation or regulatory oversight.

The sports betting bills passed by the House and Senate have much in common, such as allowing people to bet on sporting events from their cell phones, but differences could cause stalemate. The biggest divide between the bills is on the issue of college sports betting. The House version includes college sports betting. Sports are included, and House Speaker Ron Mariano has said it's a key element of the bill, while Senate President Karen Spilka supports a Senate version that omits college sports.

Paul DeVore, an assistant professor of political science at LaSalle University, whose research focuses on gambling regulation, said:

"Universities have exploited student athletes as huge revenue streams for decades," he said. "College sports betting puts additional stress on a system that needs serious reform. Mobile sports betting is basically within reach, so how do we make sure people don't take advantage of it as well?"

Casey Clark of American gaming associations says this is possible. He added that the betting in university sports was no longer being made.

"Probably a weaker athlete and the weaker athletes are separated from the regulated market and retained all of their activities to a market that is not illegally regulated. He doesn't. "

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This week, Angkor Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino were overwhelmed, and asked the parliamentary to send the sports betting bill to the governor and sign.

"Currently, sports betting is legalized in 35 states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Lord Island, and no more than an hour of drive from Sports Betting is a legalized state. "As a result, these state competitors provide important amenities and services that are forbidden to provide in Massachusetts, and have r e-earned the federal entertainment dollar.

The casino boss added that it would lead to tax revenue in Massachusetts.

"In addition, despite the increase in wages, contract bonuses, and incentives, employees, especially employees who are paid chips, choose to work at the venue where they significantly attract more spectators for sports betting. It has been an impact on the ability to build a labor, "I have less than a week in the legislature.

When the casino gambling was first legalized in Massachusetts, the legislative government obliged the casino facilities to provide staff to prevent gambling. This program, called the game sense, offers resources for obsessiv e-compulsive gamblers. This program is operated by the Massachusetts Gaming Health Council, but the Secretar y-General of Gaming Health, Marlean Warner, who gambles remotely in case of online sports betting. He said he was worried about what would happen without any version. < SPAN> American gaming associated Casey Clark says this is possible. He added that the betting in university sports was no longer being made.

"Probably a weaker athlete and the weaker athletes are separated from the regulated market and retained all of their activities to a market that is not illegally regulated. He doesn't. "

This week, Angkor Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino were overwhelmed, and asked the parliamentary to send the sports betting bill to the governor and sign.

"Currently, sports betting is legalized in 35 states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Lord Island, and no more than an hour of drive from Sports Betting is a legalized state. "As a result, these state competitors provide important amenities and services that are forbidden to provide in Massachusetts, and have r e-earned the federal entertainment dollar.

The casino boss added that it would lead to tax revenue in Massachusetts.

Latest Gambling News: Massachusetts Senate Rejects Sports-Betting Tax Rate Increase, and more

"In addition, despite the increase in wages, contract bonuses, and incentives, employees, especially employees who are paid chips, choose to work at the venue where they significantly attract more spectators for sports betting. It has been an impact on the ability to build a labor, "I have less than a week in the legislature.

Massachusetts Senate Rejects Sports-Betting Tax Rate Increase

When the casino gambling was first legalized in Massachusetts, the legislative government obliged the casino facilities to provide staff to prevent gambling. This program, called the game sense, offers resources for obsessiv e-compulsive gamblers. This program is operated by the Massachusetts Gaming Health Council, but the Secretar y-General of Gaming Health, Marlean Warner, who gambles remotely in case of online sports betting. He said he was worried about what would happen without any version. Casey Clark of American gaming associations says this is possible. He added that the betting in university sports was no longer being made.

"Probably a weaker athlete and the weaker athletes are separated from the regulated market and retained all of their activities to a market that is not illegally regulated. He doesn't. "

This week, Angkor Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino were overwhelmed, and asked the parliamentary to send the sports betting bill to the governor and sign.

"Currently, sports betting is legalized in 35 states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Lord Island, and no more than an hour of drive from Sports Betting is a legalized state. "As a result, these state competitors provide important amenities and services that are forbidden to provide in Massachusetts, and have r e-earned the federal entertainment dollar.

The casino boss added that it would lead to tax revenue in Massachusetts.

"In addition, despite the increase in wages, contract bonuses, and incentives, employees, especially employees who are paid chips, choose to work at the venue where they significantly attract more spectators for sports betting. It has been an impact on the ability to build a labor, "I have less than a week in the legislature.

Fanatics Fined $10,000 For Bets On Massachusetts Colleges

When the casino gambling was first legalized in Massachusetts, the legislative government obliged the casino facilities to provide staff to prevent gambling. This program, called the game sense, offers resources for obsessiv e-compulsive gamblers. This program is operated by the Massachusetts Gaming Health Council, but the Secretar y-General of Gaming Health, Marlean Warner, who gambles remotely in case of online sports betting. He said he was worried about what would happen without any version.

"This is the first way for Massachusetts to proceed with gambling online." For that purpose, you need a considerable amount of new approach to responsible gambling and safer gambling. I hope that the legislature will continue to work seriously. However, I hope that this will trigger the discussion while the two houses are holding the consultation committee.

Debore says that the state council needs to build a fair system for existing casinos when the state considers the transition to no n-brick facilities.

"What about taxation to mobile sports betting? Is all the bets the same? In the expansion gaming, 25 % of taxes per day for encore and MGM casino income, and 1 for the income of the slot parlor. If you have a 49 % tax, how do you do the same as a matter of equality? You may want to reconsider how you are taxed. "

If you want to legalize Sports Betting by the end of July 31, the members will be able to reach the agreement in a few days.

Catch up the six articles recently featured by our gambling compliance analyst and see the latest news.

Betr Receives Initial Approval For Maryland License

On Thursday (May 23), a member of the Massachusetts Congress immediately rejected the proposal to make it one of the sports betting areas of the highest tax in the United States.

Senator John Kinnan (Democratic Party) proposed a proposal for a revision of the state's annual budget proposal to raise the tax rate for mobile sports betting from 20 % of the current total income to 51 %.

This proposal was one of the approximately 1, 100 amendments submitted by each member of the Diet to add to the budget, but after Kinan had a short discussion at the Senate Parliament on Thursday, the Senator promptly agree. I rejected the amendment proposal.

Last summer, the Sports Betting tax rate has been often seen since last year, led by the State Budget doubling the sports betting tax rate from 10 % to 20 %.

Illinois members are currently considering raising the sports betting tax proposed by the Democratic Governor Pritcker to 35 %.

"Of course, most of the backlash is coming from the sportsbook companies that are literally getting tens of millions of dollars from the state of Illinois," Pritzker said at a Thursday press conference. "What we're asking for is for them to pay their fair share a little bit more."

Fanatics Betting & Gaming was fined $10, 000 as part of a settlement agreement for accepting bets on college football games involving Massachusetts universities.

Pennsylvania Fines Casino $125,000 For Underage Gambling

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted 4-0 on Thursday, May 23 to fine Fanatics, which accepted $50 futures bets on the Fenway Bowl, where Boston College will play Southern Methodist University in December, on December 5, 2023.

Then, on December 6, Fanatics realized the mistake, canceled the bets and refunded customers' money. The bets were made well before the football game on December 28.

Massachusetts gambling rules state that 4 Betting on in-state colleges is not allowed unless they participate in a team or higher tournament.

"The goal of the commission was to ... set the goalposts and make sure that once the goalposts were set, they followed them," said MGC interim chairman Jordan Maynard. "I saw it here. I think it was a great job."

Prior to the vote, Commissioner Naquisha Skinner requested that a full copy of the Fanatics' Permitted Markets Policy be added to the record.

Betr Holdings received initial approval for a sports betting license from the Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Board on Thursday (May 23).

In presenting Betr Holdings' application to the commission, Maryland Lottery and Gaming Regulatory Board Executive Director John Mooney called the company's historical performance "bad." He noted that Betr had significant operating losses during its startup phase while generating limited revenue.

Pennsylvania Gaming Regulators Approve GAN Merger

In 2023, Betr posted revenue of $23. 2 million and a net loss of $32 million due to increased marketing and promotional incentives. Betr currently operates in Ohio and Virginia, but exited Massachusetts earlier this year.

Mooney said Betr executives expect the company to lose money this year before turning a profit in 2025. Betr also reported cash on hand of $34. 8 million, giving regulators confidence that it "can fund its operations for the foreseeable future."

Commissioner Harold Hodges asked how Mooney could give a positive opinion when Bettle is doing so poorly financially.

"They have backers who provide the funds," Mooney said. "In any business... it's not uncommon for companies to lose a lot of money for a period of time, especially in the sports betting field."

Mooney cited DraftKings and FanDuel, both of which operate in Maryland, as examples of companies that took years to turn a profit but had the financial backing to do so.

Louisiana Seeks To Remove Ban On Casino Campaign Contributions

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) on Thursday (May 22) approved a consent agreement with Wind Creek Bethlehem, including a $125, 000 fine for allowing minors on the casino floor, and the board chairman told company executives he would meet again next month.

"We have a license renewal hearing next month," PGCB Chair Denise Smiler said. "We'll probably revisit this issue at that time."

The 10 incidents, which occurred between Nov. 26, 2021 and Sept. 24, 2023, involved 11 people between the ages of 18 and 20 who were observed entering and exiting the casino floor, gambling and drinking alcohol.

In one of the incidents covered in the consent agreement, an underage patron presented his identification to a security guard, which was scanned, but he was allowed in because state police did not respond to a request to verify the license.

A 19-year-old woman who was with a group of three others had been entering and exiting the casino using a legitimate identification card from a 41-year-old individual for more than an hour before being stopped by security.

Commissioner Shawn Dillion asked Wind Creek executives if there had been any further incidents since the violations listed in the consent agreement dated March 28, 2024.

Want to know more?

"We are aware that minors were on the floor at the time, but we have not had any incidents of minors gaming or drinking since," said Glenn Granites, director of security at Wind Creek Bethlehem.

Everything you need to know about Massachusetts' new sports betting law

The merger between GAN Ltd and Sega Sammy Creation, a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings, was unanimously approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) on Thursday, May 22.

Sega Sammy Creation is currently applying for a slot machine manufacturing license in Pennsylvania, and GAN, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAN UK Ltd, has gaming and sports betting manufacturing licenses in the state.

GAN will survive as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sega Sammy Creation. The closing date is undecided, but the two companies expect closing in late 2024 or early 2025.

GAN is affiliated with Win Resorts with Angkor Boston Harbor, Island View Casino Resort in Mississippi, and Oaklone Racing Casino Resort in Arkansas.

Who's allowed to bet?

In October, Nevada's gaming regulatory authorities signed a tw o-year conditional license to replace the sports betting platform used in Red Rock Resorts's southern Nevada sportsbooks. The software will be gained in early November with the final approval of the Gaming Laboratories International, and will be submitted to Nevada and tested.

What exactly can you bet on?

Casino donations to Louisiana have been banned for nearly 30 years, and for preventing corruption, the prohibition has been solved by the corrections added to the House of Representatives 906.

On Monday (May 20), the Senate Finance Committee approved a correction bill on 5 to 4 and sent it to the legislative bureau. If approved in the Senate, the bill will be sent to the lower house and will be approved.

"I think we are at the stage to correct the unconstitutional legislation," said Thomas Presley, a member of the Republican Senator and members of the Finance Committee, who submitted a revised proposal.

When the casino prohibition law was enacted, he was concerned that the casino would overwhelm the parliament and his actions.

"That's the past." Surely, that's not happening. With this bill, casinos will be on par with all other organizations in the state and participate in political processes. You will be able to do it. "

Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Mark Light, who has submitted a bill to revise the State Election Funds, has not intended to oppose the amendment because it is up to the committee to revise his bill. Was stated.

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After a few years of uncertainty, sports gambling in Massachusetts has been certain.

Where will I be able to place bets?

Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill to legalize sports gambling this summer, and in 2018, the Supreme Court destroyed the federal gambling ban, and tried to recognize any gambling from Super Bowl to university sports. He officially joined the state waves that began to move.

According to the American Gaming Association, the new law makes Massachusetts the 36th state in the nation to legalize sports betting.

The first bets are expected to be placed this winter, but here's a look at what's allowed, where you can bet, and how the new law differs from sports betting regimes in neighboring states:

To bet on sports in Massachusetts, you must be 21 or older, just like you can gamble at casinos in the state. This is the same as Connecticut, but it's a bit stricter than New Hampshire and Rhode Island, which allow sports betting from 18 years old.

Most professional and college sports are fair game to bet on. This includes everything from the Super Bowl and the NBA to European beach soccer and pesapallo, a Finnish sport similar to baseball.

So there are plenty of options.

However, betting on high school and youth sports is prohibited.

When will betting begin?

As for college sports, betting on in-state college teams is prohibited unless they are competing in a tournament.

For example, all regular season Boston College basketball games are prohibited (at least for Massachusetts bettors). However, you can bet if that team is playing in March Madness or a conference tournament. You also can't bet on postseason bowl games for Massachusetts college football teams.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulators also recently voted to exclude -- at least initially -- several other sports, including chess, cornhole, e-sports, jai alai, and Olympic sports where the winner is decided by a referee.

The options aren't limited to "sports," though. The gaming commissioners also voted to allow betting on special events, such as the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards, and the hot dog eating contest that takes place every Fourth of July at Coney Island.

You can read more about the approved sports here.

The new law allows all existing casinos in the state to apply for licenses for in-person sports betting. In fact, Encore Boston Harbor in Everett and MGM in Springfield have already built sports bars in their casinos, essentially sportsbooks-in-waiting. Plainridge Park Casino also intends to set up a sportsbook.

But going to a casino isn't your only option.

How exactly do you place a bet?

These three casinos and up to seven other companies can launch a mobile sports betting app, and Massachusetts people can bet on mobile phones and laptops.

For now, all three casinos are in partnership with the mobile betting app. Six "no string" mobile gambling companies, including Bosto n-based Draftkings and their rival FANDUEL, have also obtained permission. However, the mobile betting platform must wait a little longer until the start of both tethers and tethers (see later).

Also, this law must physically be in Massachusetts when a bet is performed. Therefore, for example, you cannot bring your mobile phone to Vermont and bet over the state border. (Although it has not yet been revealed how it will be enforced, in other states that have introduced mobile, sports and betting, websites and apps are attached to the user's location information. )

Are there any other safeguards?

The law further acknowledges that Leinum Park and Saffalk Downs (have continued to hold dog races and horse racing Simal cast gambling) will eventually open a sportsbook in the hall. At one point in the future, there is a possibility that you will be able to bet in businesses such as restaurants and hotels in Massachusetts.

The new law has conducted a survey on gaming commissions on the feasibility of accepting sports betting kiosks at retail stores, indicating that we will report recommendations to the legislature in the near future.

It's up to you how to bet.

Is the industry taxed?

The gambling committee has decided to shift the time at least so that some people can bet in this year's super bowl. As a result, fac e-t o-face gambling will start at 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 31, at three casinos in the state.

The authorities are aiming for the Mobile Sports Betting app in early March. However, the exact date has not been decided yet.

Since Sports Betting was officially legalized in August, the committee has been in a hurry to formulate regulatory schemes.

"It is necessary to determine more than 200 regulations and officially decide," said Tom Mills, a gaming commission spokesman, said in a WBUR email last summer. It contains everything, from licensing and technical standards to advertising rules and addiction measures. The committee also has to hire a new sports betting department, create a draft of regulations, receive public input, and formally vote for all rules.

Some states, such as the main and Ohio, take more than a year.

Where does all that money go?

"I want citizens to understand that this is not what we can do overnight," said Brad Hill, a meeting last August. "This is probably a little longer than people expect.

• Another important point: Credit cards cannot be used.
• In other words, to open a mobile gambling, you will need a debit card or bank branch number. This rule is to prevent the problem gambler from falling into debt hell.
• In the status of Eric Lesser, the c o-author of this law, said in the stat e-house news service forum last year, "People with gambling and gambling problems are impulsively large from the sofa. It is a big concern that there is a possibility of claiming. "
• I agree. Many of these rules will be determined by the gaming committee, but there are also basic measures stipulated by law.
• One is that people who have a problem with gambling, or who are really, can add their names to the "sel f-exclusion" list. This list is shared with the operator, and the operator must prohibit betting on the list or online platform. (Other than that, it will be private).

What happens to unclaimed winning?

The committee also has to set rules for deceptive or excessive advertising, and guidelines for casinos and other businesses to promote "responsible gaming." Online and Mobile Betting Platforms are required to display the phone number and website of the state gaming hotline each time a user opens the app.

However, unlike the state's sales tax and marijuana goods tax, consumers are not levied on bets or prize money.

Instead, this law is to tax on the whole monthly income obtained by casinos and other companies from sports betting. The tax rate is 15 % tax on fac e-t o-face gambling income, 20 % for income from mobile gambling, and 15 % for fantasy sports.

Related:

• This is far below the tax rate of New Hampshire and Rhod Island, and the Ryoso imposes 51 % tax on operators. Professor Richard McG o-One, a Boston College, studying the gambling industry, told Wbur that the low tax rate in Massachusetts may be in favor of competition with other companies with more established sports betting industry. 。

"They were late to the table on sports gambling, so maybe they think a lower tax rate will make it more interesting for operators," McGowan said.