The legal week that was feels much longer for a resident of Massachusetts. Think about it, DraftKings is headquartered right in Boston, MA. Sports betting seemed like a foregone conclusion. With that said, it hasn’t happened and finally, there will be some movement as last this coming week. As always, at Vegas Betting, we have the latest news.
Unfortunately clamoring by the people of the state has had little influence. The Massachusetts legislature has been slow to react. At least, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies will meet on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. The biggest problem exists in the fact that the state has left sports betting out of its budget proposals. Is it because they simply want to stall it a little more?
Massachusetts keeps inflicting wounds on itself by its own inaction. State residents have options now. They can drive north to New Hampshire or down to Rhode Island. Furthermore, Connecticut may open up its sports betting as soon as the Fall. I almost forgot. New York sports betting expects to launch in time for Super Bowl wagering.
There are a total of 19 bills on the docket. That gives about three minutes for every topic discussed. It should be an entertaining four-hour block of time. Expect the testimony to be fast and furious as the clock is ticking.
From looking at this in several ways, the House has been cooperating in getting bills to the Senate. Unfortunately, it has been the Senate that has been the biggest obstacle. Massachusetts residents cannot bet when it comes to the 2021 NHL playoffs or any other sport for that matter.
Frustration has been mounting since 2020 featured no action while neighboring states were pocketing millions and millions of dollars. Tax revenue heading to other states is hurting the Bay State. Further inaction only compounds the problem.
Again, last year, the Senate was gifted with an easy-to-pass bill with seven mobile licenses. They shot that down with ease and then tabled everything well into 2021. The problem stems from a constant pull between those who want an open mobile market. However, others want licenses tethered completely to casinos and racetracks.
This merry-go-round aggravates everyone involved. The committee must come up with a model that can go to the Senate. Even then, everyone in the state is at the mercy of the legislative body.
Two years ago, the committee was in this same, exact position. Most cannot comprehend how this happened but at least, they have come back full circle. It is progress — well sort of.
More than two years after holding a two-day hearing that revolved around whether or how to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts, the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies will revisit the issue next week. https://t.co/JZ2ITpcsgU
— NBC10 Boston (@NBC10Boston) June 10, 2021
However, the point of emphasis here is they have hours. The last committee had two days to debate the matters at hand. What have they learned from 2019 that will make this a faster process? One can understand why some in Massachusetts are not very optimistic.
What happened then was revealing. The joint committee in 2019 had some solid, concrete ideas. The House passed their version and bills but the Senate did not. Nothing went to the governor’s desk.
“State senators passed a $47.72 billion budget following three days of debate that includes no new taxes but punted off major policy changes including action on sports betting.”
Then, there was the added insult of not seeing sports betting on the 2020 or 2021 budgets.
The sobering part of all this lies in this one, simple quote.
“While the Massachusetts sports betting market will eventually be legalized, there’s no indication as to when this will happen. The downside of this is that the state will be leaving millions of dollars on the table”
From gaminghammer.com
It’s quite a shame that the state cannot figure this out. Part of the problems aligns with the fact that most of the bills are rough around the edges. One bill wants online gaming options but bans all college betting. It is like having one’s cake and trying to eat it too.
There is a bill by Senator Bandor Crighton which offers hope. The tax rates present as reasonable. Though the bill is not perfect by any means, it is an improvement over most of the bills currently on the table. There are 24 in all. That is a large amount to sift through in short order.
The optimism is rightfully fading in Massachusetts. Most feel the state is on a “Moby Dick” like quest for the perfect bill. That is not going to happen. Look at states like New Jersey. They were the first and even a few years later, there are still amendments waiting.
NJ College Sports betting update: SCR133 – the bill that would allow betting on NJ Division 1 college sport teams in the Garden State – will be heard in Appropriations on Wednesday, June 16 at 10:30 a.m. ET #sportsbetting #collegesports #NewJersey
— Sweet Lou Monaco (@loumonaco) June 14, 2021
The point is simple. There will always be tinkering. That is the nature of the process. Time is not on the side of the state. If sports betting does not get off the ground by the end of 2021, Vermont and Massachusetts will be left in the cold. Every other state gets to bet in the Northeast. That will mean a missed opportunity for a piece of the pie.
It’s a great question. The answer is much murkier. How the legislature in Massachusetts works can be best described as mysterious. One never quite knows what will happen next. The lean here is to expect state residents to have to wait longer yet. Those are words that few want to hear.
Summary
Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more Summary Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups. Lead arranger of news and injury reports for Rotoballer Hockey. Also did the news lead for NASCAR on the same site coming out of COVID. Strategy and mapping out of various sports betting and sports articles for MyNHLTradeRumors and gambling.com. Runs a hockey and fantasy hockey podcast that teaches fantasy hockey players how to improve their skills. Experience Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines.. His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too. Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, Chris has primarily focused on sports writing and fitness. On social media, he will answer any question in many different aspects. Even Chris's ability to wager on Entertainment and US Elections is well documented. He was able to predict Joe Biden's inevitable dip in approval rating below 40%. Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a lot of places from DraftKings to USA Today and much more. Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of amazing fantasy hockey championships from expert to high-stake leagues. Education Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams. Quote from Chris Wassel "Do Not Think, Just Do.”
Education
1999 Graduate of Union County College
1993 Graduate of Rahway High School
Professional Achievements
Media credentialed member of the New Jersey Devils since 2010
Covered several NHL Drafts including the one day event in Newark in 2013
Been on countless podcasts, TV shows, and more including Sportsnet and even NHL Network