Sports betting in Massachusetts became a reality in the wee hours of Monday morning when lawmakers reached a deal.
And that deal came down to the wire, quite literally. Massachusetts lawmakers met on Sunday for their final legislative session of 2021-2022. On the docket: gun laws, expanded mental health access, tax relief, and sports betting. All issues that effect residents all across the Commonwealth. So with that much at stake, it’s no surprise Massachusetts lawmakers pulled an all-nighter. It was just after 5:00 this morning that word got out that they had reached an agreement on sports betting. So what does that look like?
Sports Betting in Massachusetts
GBH has this story which lays out the particulars. For background, the Massachusetts House had voted to legalize betting on both pro and college sports. The Massachusetts Senate had given the thumbs-up to pro sports, but balked on allowing wagering on college games. So an agreement needed to be struck, and it was. The final bill will allow Massachusetts residents to bet on professional sports and some college sports. The restrictions? Gamblers won’t be allowed to bet on teams from Massachusetts schools unless those teams are in tournament play. The GBH piece gives March Madness as an example.
So what does this mean for you, if you’re the type of person that enjoys a bit of sports wagering? It means you no longer have to drive to New Hampshire or Rhode Island to place your bets. Soon, you’ll be able to download an app from the likes of DraftKings or FanDuel and place bets on your device from the comfort of your own home. The timeline on that isn’t clear yet, but the goal is to have things up-and-running by the beginning of the NFL season, which is just weeks away. So we’ll see.