Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts

Thursday, April 28, 2022

MA Senate Passes Sports Betting Legislation

SENATE PASSES SPORTS BETTING LEGISLATION

Bill includes strong consumer protections

 

The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday (4/28/22) passed An Act regulating sports wagering which would legalize commercial sports betting in Massachusetts. The bill, which would allow for in-person and online sports betting, also includes several consumer safeguards and addresses gaming addiction and recovery. This legislation is estimated to generate $35 million in tax revenue annually.

"I am proud that the Senate has taken a thoughtful and balanced approach to legalizing sports betting," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "This legislation is consumer-focused and responsible, while promoting economic development. I am grateful to the many, many Senators who added their voices to the discussion on sports wagering, to the Senators whose proposals we built upon, and to Chair Rodrigues and the Senate Ways and Means members and staff for their work to reach consensus on the bill we voted on today."

"With the Senate's passage of this bill, we lay a comprehensive foundation for a competitive legal sports wagering marketplace that will maximize revenue for our Commonwealth, promote equitable economic development, and establish the strongest consumer protection measures in the country," said State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Senate Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. "I want to thank Senator President Spilka for her invaluable leadership, along with Senators Lesser, Crighton, Feeney, Gomez, Brady, Creem and Tarr for lending their voices and contributing ideas and input throughout this process, and all of my colleagues in the Senate for helping to shape the final bill that the Senate has endorsed today."

"This bill has been carefully crafted to include strong consumer protections and encourage a competitive market for fun and responsible betting," said Senator Eric P. Lesser (D-Longmeadow), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. "Its passage would bring Massachusetts into line with over two dozen states who have legalized sports betting since the 2018 Supreme Court decision. I want to thank Senate President Spilka, Chairman Rodrigues, and my House counterpart, Representative Parisella, for working collaboratively to get this legislation passed."

The legislation would allow for bets to be placed on a professional sport or athletic event, such as the World Series or Stanley Cup, and establishes a licensing process that is inclusive of the state's existing casino and slot parlor industry. In addition to sports wagering being offered at existing casinos, the bill contemplates six licenses to be awarded through a competitive process to companies which promote job-growth, responsible gambling, diversity, equity and inclusion, and which have community support. Those six licenses would be permitted to operate both in-person at a retail facility and online wagering. Wagering would not be permitted on electronic sports, amateur sports or athletic events including high school and youth sports, Olympic-related competitions, or collegiate sports. All leading Massachusetts Division 1 universities had previously weighed in against college sports betting.

Mindful of the harmful impacts of compulsive gambling and risks of addiction, the Senate proposal is intentional in its efforts to promote responsible gambling and takes steps to protect consumers. To that end, the bill would prohibit the use of a credit card to place a sports wager and would require the Department of Public Health (DPH) to establish a compulsive gambling direct assistance program.

Additionally, companies licensed to offer sports betting would be required to train employees to identify problem gambling and create plans to address instances of problem gambling, which would be submitted to the state's Gaming Commission. In addition, the bill would ensure that consumers could cash out and permanently close accounts for any reason or create self-imposed limits on wagers.

To further protect consumers, this legislation would include limitations on advertising for sports betting. The bill would prohibit unsolicited pop-up advertisements and certain promotional items, and institute a whistle-to-whistle ban on television advertising during live sporting events. Similar to the state's cannabis law, the bill would limit advertising on television and online where less than 85% of the audience is 21 or older.

With legislation relative to sports betting having passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a conference committee will be established to reconcile differences between the two bills.

Commonwealth Magazine coverage for this legislation ->
 https://commonwealthmagazine.org/gambling/237976/


MA Senate Passes Sports Betting Legislation
MA Senate Passes Sports Betting Legislation

Saturday, April 23, 2022

CommonWealth Magazine: "Senate plans to take up sports betting next week"

"THE SENATE IS POISED to debate legislation Thursday to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts, but the bill that emerged Friday afternoon from a Senate committee differs in several important ways from the sports betting bill that has already cleared the House. 
The long-awaited wagering bill was advanced favorably out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee late Friday afternoon, according to a Senate source. If it passes the Senate next week, lawmakers would have about three months to reconcile their differing approaches and get a bill to Gov. Charlie Baker, who has supported legalizing sports wagering for years."
Continue reading the article online

CommonWealth Magazine: "Senate plans to take up sports betting next week"
CommonWealth Magazine: "Senate plans to take up sports betting next week"

Thursday, September 16, 2021

CommonWealth Magazine: "Lawmakers push for expansion of Plainridge"

 

"The competition between Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville and two nearby Rhode Island gaming facilities for southeastern Massachusetts’ gambling dollars is nothing new and representatives from that part of the state renewed their support Tuesday for bills (H 507/H 532) to authorize but not require the Mass. Gaming Commission to allow the slots-only facility to add “up to 30 table games and an additional 250 slot machines.”

“Last session, we were concerned about the opening of the casino in Tiverton, Rhode Island, which happened two years ago. In this session, we also know that Rhode Island is planning a major expansion at Twin River. And that will put Plainridge and my communities at a further competitive disadvantage,” Rep. Jeff Roy of Franklin said. “We’re here to push for a modest expansion of Plainridge so that the commonwealth can best compete with our neighbors to the south, and we can protect the jobs, our local businesses, and the tax revenues that have been generated from Plainridge Park.”

When Massachusetts legalized casino-style gambling a decade ago, lawmakers approved a framework that includes up to three resort-style casinos and one slots parlor. Two of the three casino licenses have been issued, to MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor, and Plainridge Park Casino holds the lone slots-only license."

Continue reading the article online
 
A slot machine at Plainridge Park Casino.
A slot machine at Plainridge Park Casino.


Friday, July 23, 2021

MA News: Gov Baker says no changes; BPS says masks for students; MA House passes sports betting

Gov Baker: No plans to change COVID policies 

"ALTHOUGH COVID-19 CASE numbers are rising in Massachusetts and nationally, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he does not intend to reinstate any statewide COVID-related rules. 
“We’re not looking at changing any of our existing rules or policies,” Baker said, speaking at a press conference in Sandwich."
"In one of the first signs the resurgence of COVID infections is causing concern among officials, Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey on Thursday said all public school students in the city will be required to wear face masks when they return to classes in September. 
Already this week, officials in Cambridge, Provincetown, and Nantucket urged residents and visitors to wear masks in indoor public spaces as new outbreaks have been reported; Cambridge, for example, said that 42 percent of the 83 confirmed and probable infections in July so far are “breakthrough” cases involving people who are fully vaccinated."
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MA House passes sports betting

"THE HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY approved a bill to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts on Thursday evening, but even before the vote, the question of whether to allow wagers on college sports emerged as a major sticking point between the House and Senate."
Continue reading the article online

"The state House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would legalize sports betting in Massachusetts, allowing people 21 and older to place wagers on professional and collegiate athletic events.

The House endorsed the measure 156-3, sending it to the state Senate, which has been less enthusiastic about legalizing the practice."

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