BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers reached a deal early Monday on a bill that would legalize betting on professional and collegiate sports, joining more than 30 other states, including several neighbors such as Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
The House and Senate versions of the bill differed on collegiate sports betting, with the Senate version barring such wagers and the House version allowing it. Several universities in the state that play NCAA Division I athletics had previously expressed opposition to college sports betting.
But under Monday’s compromise, betting on in-state colleges and universities such as UMass, Boston College and Boston University will not be allowed unless those schools are playing in a national tournament, including the NCAA basketball tournaments, or a football bowl game.
“I am proud to announce that the Sports Betting Conference Committee has reached an agreement on legislation that will legalize wagering on professional and collegiate sports in Massachusetts, bringing the immense economic benefits of a legal sports betting industry to MA,” Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a tweet at about 5 a.m.
The bill now goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who in the past has expressed support for sports wagering, saying evidence shows that state residents are already traveling to Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut to place legal wagers. Baker has 10 days to act on the legislation.
The bill also includes measures to address problem gambling.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that banning sports betting was unconstitutional.
Timing on when the state’s first legal sports bet will be placed is still up in the air. Monday’s bill granted authority to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to enforce legal sports wagering.
MGM Springfield began preparations for the legalization of sports betting last year, when it opened a 70-seat luxury theater-style lounge with a 45-foot HD viewing wall.
“We’re ready to rock and roll,” MGM President and COO Chris Kelly said in regard to the possibility of legalized sports betting during last year’s opening.
Last October, Connecticut joined the list of states where sports betting was legal, though the Nutmeg State offers similar restrictions on in-state collegiate betting to the package that was approved for Massachusetts. In June, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection released figures that showed the state’s retail and online sportsbooks had taken approximately $1.08 billion in bets since the launch of mobile wagering in October 2021.
Staff contributed to this report.