A growing number of politicians in Massachusetts are tired of all the delays regarding the legalization of sports betting in their state. Part of their frustration stems from the fact that most of their regional neighbors have successfully launched their legal sports betting market. That has seen millions of dollars leave the state and they’ve had enough.
Massachusetts Politicians Tired of Delays
In the aftermath of the Super Bowl, politicians in Massachusetts are getting more vocal about their displeasure with the delays in legalizing sports betting. Not too long ago, Massachusetts could be considered ” Super Bowl Country” with their local team, the New England Patriots being the dominant force in the NFL for at least two decades. That is very relevant to the conversation in the sense that money continues to spill out of Massachusetts and into the pockets of the neighbors.
According to reports, the only sportsbook where you can make an online wager in New Hampshire reported that almost 30% of their Super Bowl bets came from residents of Massachusetts. When you then take into account that Connecticut, Rhode Island have also legalized and you understand the frustration coming from local politicians. When you add New York state to the mix, it is clear to see that Massachusetts is virtually surrounded by states where their residents can easily go and place their bets.
Real Money to Be Made on Sports Betting Locally
The Patriots are just one example but everyone in the country knows that New England is one of the major sports hubs in the country. Two of their franchises, the Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox are two of the oldest and most supported franchises in the world. When you add NCAA sports into the mix, the earning potential in Massachusetts is limitless.
By anyone’s calculations, Massachusetts is consistently one of the 5-10 wealthiest states in any given year. How long is Massachusetts going to sit back and watch their neighbors make tax money off their residents? If Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has anything to do with it, not much longer.
One hour before the Super Bowl kicked off, Baker took to social media and posted the following: “We filed a bill in 2019 and again last year to make sports gaming legal. MA is losing out to neighboring states on this, especially during big games.
Enjoy the Super Bowl and let’s make sports gaming happen! You have to hand it to Baker, as far as marketing goes, what better time to send that message as thousands of residents in your state are probably wondering why they have to go out of their way to get action on the big game.
A Few Issues to Iron Out First
It has to be said that Gov. Baker has already announced that he will not be running for re-election. That makes this a bit of a time-sensitive issue because there is no way of knowing what the future governor’s stance on this issue might be. One piece of good news is that Baker did say that he would sign legal sports betting bill if one reached his office before the end of his term.
With that, lawmakers have a lot of work to do in the interim. The reality is, it’s been almost four years and over a dozen attempts that have failed. During that time, more than 30 jurisdictions have legalized while several have launched successfully.
The fact that Massachusetts is one of the last states in New England to legalize is embarrassing. Massachusetts should be getting money from surrounding states, not the other way around.
Players in Massachusetts and across the country that don’t yet have access to legalized sports betting via mobile can go to OddsTrader once this changes. OddsTrader currently offers betting odds comparison in Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Iowa, and West Virginia.
