Massachusetts governor signs eleventh-hour sports betting agreement into law

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed a deadline-busting, legislature-approved sports betting bill into law, paving the way for a launch of both retail and online sports betting in the state.

In a statement confirming the bill’s signature into law, Baker hailed legislators and other state officials.

“Our administration first filed legislation to legalize sports wagering in the Commonwealth several years ago, and I am glad to be able to sign this bill into law today,” Gov. Baker said in a statement.

“We appreciate the dedication and compromise that the Legislature demonstrated on this issue, and we look forward to supporting the work of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on the responsible implementation of the law over the next several months,” he added.

Sentiments were echoed by Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) executive director Karen Wells who cited the “great deal of work” done by the MGC in anticipation of the signing into law.

“This includes identifying over 200 potential regulations, adopting a framework to utilize industry-recognized technical standards, establishing an infrastructure to investigate and license applicants, initiating the hiring of a Chief of Sports Wagering, and scheduling public meetings,” Wells explained.

Now that we have a law that defines our responsibilities as regulator, we will work with our stakeholders to swiftly stand up this new industry with a focus on integrity, player safety and consumer protection.” Wells added.

Proponents for sports betting in the state hailed the move as a positive one, suggesting the regulated market could prove hugely successful for the state.

After a four-year process, sports betting is now legal in Massachusetts!! 🏈⚾️🏀🏒⚽️

— Eric Lesser (@EricLesser) August 10, 2022

I'm confident this law will be a model for other states, and I look forward to seeing its full implementation in the months ahead. I'm proud to have been a part of the team that worked to deliver sports betting in Massachusetts.

— Eric Lesser (@EricLesser) August 10, 2022

Legislators from both houses met in emergency sessions after the regular state legislature sessions ended earlier this month, signing off the agreement at 5:10am on August 1.

The sign-off came after a furious period of lobbying in the state, with final legislation combining the best of both Senate and house initiatives across several areas of concern.

No firm date has been set for a sports betting launch in the state, however preliminary studies by state regulators have suggested a launch could take place within five months.

Last week, Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) commissioner Bradford Hill refuted any suggestions that the state could potentially have sports betting in place by the start of the NFL season in September.

Speaking at a meeting of the MGC, Hill suggested regulatory changes would not “happen overnight” and that the public needed to remain patient with the regulator.

He said: “We are going to do this right and, in order to do this right, we need to take our time a little bit.

“I’ve seen some quotes in the newspapers by the public and others that we are going to have this up and running in a very short amount of time, but this is going to take a little longer perhaps than people anticipate,” he added.

The MGC is due to meet today to discuss next steps in the process.

The tax rate for land-based and online sportsbooks is likely to be 15% and 20%, respectively, with a license fee costing $5m for a five-year period.

Among those awaiting the launch is Wynn Resorts, with its flagship Encore Boston Harbor resort in the state, and Boston-headquartered DraftKings, which are both expected to apply for licenses.

#Massachusetts moving forward ▶️ with #SportsGambling with @CharlieBakerMA signing the bill into law. The tax revenue that this potentially can bring to our state is astronomical while helping Boston based @DraftKings move forward with their buisness plan. Win/win https://t.co/VZylF3eF1i

— Deanna Deveney, Esq (@deanna_dev) August 10, 2022

Sports betting is now legal in the state that knows a thing or two about winning!

Our next step is applying to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to bring sports betting to the WynnBET Sportsbook at @EncoreResortBH and online through the WynnBET app as soon as we can! pic.twitter.com/gBoth6fw9d

— WynnBET (@WynnBET) August 10, 2022