Massachusetts is considering hiking taxes on sports betting and banning in-play and proposition bets. A bill in the Senate was recently filed by Sen. John F. Keenan (D).
Bill S.302, also known as the Better Health Act, would not only ban prop bets and in-play wagering, it would prohibit sportsbook advertising during sports events. Additionally, agents and promoters would be excluded from betting on sports.
“My Bettor Health Act protects Massachusetts residents against the predatory nature of online sports gambling operators and limits risky and potentially addictive bets like prop bets, which are ruining sports and lives,” Keenan posted on X.
Significant Tax Increase, Consumer Protections Added
If the bill becomes law, sportsbooks in the state would see a steep increase in taxes, rising from 20% to %51. Bettors would also be limited in how much they can wager each day unless operators conduct “affordability checks.” That could include determining limits based on a bettor’s financial standing and outlook.
Sportsbook employees would be barred from receiving payment based on how much they “induce bettors to gamble.” Some additional parts of the bill include:
- Doubling the amount sportsbooks contribute to the Public Health Trust Fund each year
- Operators adding to the gaming commission’s research on links between problem gambling and suicides
- Sportsbooks releasing anonymized data on sports bettors to an experienced nonprofit research entity
Recent Moves By MA Regulators
The industry has already seen some changes in the Bay State. In December, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission ruled that DraftKings couldn’t void a wager because of an error.
In the same month, the commission ruled that sportsbooks must notify sharp bettors when limiting their action. Regulators also won in state court this week a lawsuit against Kalshi. The prediction market firm was ordered to stop offering sports markets in the state.
Other states have recently raised taxes on sports betting. Last year, Illinois added a 25-cent levy on wagers for an operator’s first 20 million bets, rising to 50 cents beyond that threshold. The Illinois Gaming Board later reported that the number of legal wagers dropped by 5 million.
