Senators in Massachusetts seem steadfast in the obstruction of legal sports betting in the state. S.269 crossed over to Senate Chambers after the House passed the bill with near-unanimity in July.
However, recent political developments have pushed the Senate to pump the brakes on MA sports betting.
A Vote For Research
The sudden abandonment of the bill has now prompted the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to take matters into its own hands. The Commission has launched a study to explore the benefits and ramifications of domestic betting in the state and beyond.
Mark Vander Linden, the director of research and responsible gaming with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, pitched the study as a solution for the uncertainty in the Senate.
On Thursday, the sports betting study was approved by the Commission. For the project, the Commission has enlisted the help of the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) research team.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
SEIGMA’s research is expected to rely heavily on the successes and failures of other legal sports betting states. Vander Linden explained the plan as such:
“An analysis in this area would be done to take a look at, obviously leveraging [a previous National Council on Problem Gambling] study, looking at other data that may exist in other states, looking at how legalization has been rolled out in those states, and combining that would allow us to have a better understanding of the likely impacts of legalization of sports wagering in Massachusetts, should it be legalized, as well as what would be kind of a guiding path towards measures to mitigate that harm,”
Mark Vander Linden, MA Gaming Commission Director of Research and Responsible Gaming
The Commission is hopeful that SEIGMA’s findings will be ready for presentation by or before June 30, 2022.
While the launch of this study essentially puts the final nail in the coffin for passing S.269 this year, it indicates a brighter future for Massachusetts. The sports betting bill will still be eligible for approval next year.
With SEIGMA’s findings as supplemental support, the bill should have no issue passing in the Senate. Three dozen states have now enacted some form of legal sports betting and, thus far, there have been little-to-no hiccups.
It is still unclear exactly which avenues of analysis the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will opt to take. More information about the study is likely to surface in the next few months.
How To Bet in Massachusetts
Those in Massachusetts that still want to bet on sports can do so without crossing state lines. Offshore betting sites have been in business for decades, offering safe and secure wagering platforms when US operators could not.
Top-ranking offshore sites remain the most reputable and experienced options in the industry. Moreover, they are 100% legal and accessible to players in the US.
Massachusetts won’t see sports betting profits before 2022, but that doesn’t mean that you have to wait too!
Source: 7 News Boston
