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Hearings on bills to legalize sports gambling in Massachusetts were heard last month by the Committee for Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, the first step in what will likely be a months-long process.
One of the first matters will be to choose what entity will operate and oversee sports betting. “What I could see is the state treasurer (Deborah Goldberg) making a pitch to have the Lottery be in charge,” said Representative Paul Mark of the 2nd Berkshire District, “but the casinos might make the same pitch.”
Bettors will be able to use internet devices like smartphones to wager, and Goldberg wants online sports betting to be under her domain so she can justify also putting the Lottery online.
Governor Charlie Baker wants the State Gaming Commission to regulate it. MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino, together with Encore Boston Harbor, which opens June 23, fall under the auspices of the MGC.
“As individual members we’ll see how things come together and start to weigh in,” said Mark, who added, “I imagine it’s going to come to the floor at some point, but I think it’s going to take a while. We have school funding, health care and the budget to get done. I’m working on redistricting and there’s going to be a transportation bill for funding our roads and bridges. Sports betting will take a back seat to that.”
Thirteen states have legalized sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban a year ago — including Rhode Island which turned a $2 million profit in April — and now New Hampshire is poised to handle the vig.
Without a sales or state income tax, lawmakers have created revenue streams by selling cigarettes and liquor at prices their out-of-state neighbors can’t get at home. In 1964, it became the first state in the nation to have a lottery. The New York Times reported that Governor John King paid $3 for Sweepstakes Ticket No. 000001 at Rockingham Park in Salem.
The plan to entice sports bettors began when New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu put start-up money in the budget. The House passed a bill in April, and last week the senate voted on it. “It passed but with changes,” said Maura McCann of the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission. “It goes back to the House for amendments, and the Senate can either vote in concurrence or negotiate further.”
The gaming website yogonet.com reported the changes are minor and include implementing GPS technology to confirm that bettors are in New Hampshire when they make online wagers.
Asked if she expected the bill to reach the governor’s desk, McCann said, “We’ll know by the middle of the month.”
If signed into law sports, betting will be available at lottery retailers and all 78 state liquor stores, and at 10 other yet to be determined locations. “It’s New Hampshire’s model, but we’ve looked at other states to provide the best service we can offer,” said McCann. “We’ve got quite a bit of work to do to bring this to New Hampshire players.”
The wagering infrastructure has to be in place by July 1, 2020. Better to wait a year the way the Red Sox are playing.
N.H. OTB KAPUT: It’s time to end the rumor that Hinsdale OTB is re-opening for parimutuel wagering. McCann confirmed that the building is being purchased but added, “They’re just buying the premises.”
OTB owner Bill Faucher died last August and his family closed it in November. The gaming license expired in February and wouldn’t be renewed without live racing. Faucher had promised the state he’d build a harness track on his property, but business was bad from the start and his revenue projections collapsed.
According to parimutuel statistics posted on the NH Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission website, Hinsdale handled $1.8 million in calendar year 2018, compared to $31.5 million at Seabrook OTB.
ESPN Sunday Night Baseball analyst Jessica Mendoza has taken a lot of grief for being a Mets adviser, a softball player and well, a woman. She stood her ground on Sunday, however, after first baseman Luke Voit muffed a throw to pitcher CC Sabathia covering the bag. The play was ruled a hit, and Mendoza said, “That surprises me. I wrote down E-3. It was a bobble, and it’s not like (Christian Vazquez) was flying down the line.”
Field reporter Buster Olney gently disagreed. “I think the reason they scored it a hit was just looking at Sabathia, and whether or not he would’ve gotten to first base in time.”
“Then it’s E-1. That should be an out,” Mendoza retorted.
Agreed. It was an E-3 on my score sheet.
Back when Bill White and Phil Rizutto did Yankees games, White noticed Rizutto had scored a play “DN.”
“What does that mean?” asked White.
“Don’t know,” answered Rizutto.
SQUIBBERS: The Red Sox lost a great fan when Joe Bartlett died. Joe would slide into the booth at Brad’s Place and ask for my latest negative take on the team, and his wry smile portended a wicked readiness to rebut. … Joe would be happy that Alex Cora put Mookie Betts back in the leadoff spot and dropped Andrew Benintendi down to second. Cora was trying to fix something that wasn’t broken. … The Harvard baseball team had its best season in seven years under coach Bill Decker. Decker is a Greenfield native whose father Bill Decker was the principal at Frontier Regional. The Crimson beat Columbia to win the Ivy League title, but lost to Oklahoma State and UConn in the NCAA regionals to finish 27-16. … Sports Illustrated claims marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge can out-run a gray squirrel. Yeah, and I can outrun Bullwinkle. … Meanwhile, SI’s 40-page spread on women’s soccer was about 38 pages too long. … Barstool Sports had a photo of Brett Hull flipping off Bruins skaters from his front row seat at the Enterprise Center on Monday. … American Pharoah’s 2-year-old offspring are prepping to make their juvenile debuts at the Spa in a few weeks. … Former Bruins coach and GM Harry Sinden told the Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy that the Blues remind him of Philadelphia’s Broad Street Bullies from the early 1970s. … Andy Ruiz Jr. was a 12-1 underdog against 6-foot-6 British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The 29-year-old Ruiz scored a TKO in the seventh round, and the upset triggered a rematch in November or December. … The Cubs and Cardinals waited out a 3 hour, 37-minute rain delay at Busch Stadium this week. The fans should demand a bill of rights, although being stuck at the ballpark is a lot better than being wedged into an airplane sitting on the tarmac. … Sunday night’s game at the Stadium was 7,000 seats shy of a sellout. Next up is the three-game series at 66,000-seat Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. … Yankee outfielder Clint Frazier’s flubs in right field on Sunday and his subsequent refusal to speak with the media afterward has the talk shows buzzing. WFAN’s Boomer Esiason advised Frazier to “Stay away from social media, just keep hitting home runs and you’ll be fine.” … ESPN gushed that Sunday’s win by the Red Sox was David Price’s best start ever at Yankee Stadium “as a Red Sox.” Yes but he was 6-1 for Tampa Bay and Detroit at Yankee Stadium, so what’s the point? … Former Patriot receiver Wes Welker’s 9-year-old gelding Undrafted is in the sixth race at Belmont today, a 12-1 longshot in the Grade I Jaipur Invitational. … Mark Casse compared Luis Saez to “a drunk driver” for taking Maximum Security wide and costing his horse War of Will any chance of winning the Kentucky Derby. “See you at the Spa,” he said to Bloodhorse about a possible showdown in the Travers Stakes.