What to know as Mass. legalizes sports betting on Jan. 31 - telegram.com

More than team spirit and bragging rights will be riding on the outcomes of athletic events nationwide as Massachusetts opens the door to sports wagering Jan. 31 — just in time for state residents to place their wagers on the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 12.

True, the Patriots are out of the running this year, but Massachusetts residents will be able to make bets on the state's other pro teams. By the time both in-person and online gaming licenses are issued — online betting goes live in time for NCAA March Madness — avid sports fans will also be able to wager on the NBA and NHL, as well as the Red Sox and their MLB rivals.

What can Mass. residents bet on, and where?

Wagering has not been limited to professional sports; bettors will also be able to wager on table tennis and handball, darts and snooker, a form of billiards.

One thing state residents will not be able to wager on: Any athletic events involving in-state NCAA colleges and universities. The Legislature, however, did approve betting on college sports involving teams from out-of-state schools.

How much money will Mass. receive from sports betting?

While the state initially expected about $60 million in tax revenue from sports wagering, in a recent WCVB-TV interview state Treasurer Deb Goldberg said the anticipated tax revenue could be more in the range of $30 million to $50 million a year, plus some $80 million in application and licensing fees.

Of that, 15% will be allocated to the state Department of Public Health for research into and mitigation of gambling-related harm. The state will charge in-person gaming operators an excise tax of 15% on anticipated gambling revenues and a 20% tax on anticipated revenues for mobile or online wagers.

The Massachusetts Lottery generated some $1.1 billion in revenue for the state in 2019, while casinos generated $168 million in that same period, according to research compiled by UMass Amherst.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved three category 1 licenses, one for each of the state's three casinos.

Category 1 licenses are linked to brick-and-mortar locations, where patrons can place wagers on sports activities when in-person at either of the three venues: Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville; MGM Springfield; and Encore Boston Harbor in Everett.

In-person sports wagering starts at 10 a.m. Jan. 31.

Coming in March: 13 online, mobile betting choices

The Gaming Commission also approved category 3 licenses for several venues, some just virtual, and others that have ties to established casinos.

The state approved the suitability of licensing for Bally's Interactive (Bally Bet), Betfair Interactive US (Fan Duel), Betr Holdings (Betr), Crown MA Gaming (DraftKings), Digital Gaming Corporation (Betway) and PointsBet. Those six will join five others already found suitable that are linked to category 1 licenses: WynnBet, Caesars, BetMGM, Penn Sports Interactive (Barstool Sportsbook) and Fanatics Betting and Gaming.

The Gaming Commission has yet to issue any category 2 licenses; those would be considered in-person and tethered to establishments that either conduct live horse racing or simulcast wagering on horse or greyhound racing.

As of Aug. 10, there are two establishments in the state that conduct simulcast wagering on horse or greyhound racing: Raynham Park Simulcast Center and Suffolk Downs. 

This successful push for sports betting was launched in July 2020. After several rounds of negotiations, legalization legislation was signed into law by former Gov. Charlie Baker in August 2022. Since then, the Gaming Commission has been accepting licensee applications, holding public hearings and determining the scope of the state's gaming laws.

Athletes' safety an issue?

At its most recent meeting Monday, the commission held a roundtable discussion with representatives of several major league players' unions, including football, baseball, hockey, basketball and soccer, as the groups sought assurances about the safety of players, staff and their families.

The players' union representatives cited the possibility of intimidation and retaliation against players, staff, referees and even family members, by disgruntled bettors.

The representatives cited several violent incidents in the past few years as they requested the commission include language that would lay out penalties against individual bettors who engage in bad behavior. The representatives also suggested that heinous violations of player/staff safety result in removing an athletic competition from those allowed to accept wagers, or even the entire venue from the gaming pool.

The players' unions pointed to language used by Virginia and Illinois in crafting their sports betting policies as "robust regulations dealing with disruptive behavior," and promised to research the language and forward it to Massachusetts' commissioners.

"The sports betting business is built on the backs of players and their performance," said Steve Fehr, an attorney representing the National Hockey League Players' Association.

The group indicated they are hoping the commission can include language that incentivizes teams, sports arenas and security to protect the players, their families and staff. While many believe it's the purview of the team to ensure player safety, David Foster, representing the NBA Players' Association, said that they could "use a nudge from the governing association."

Wagering, he said, can add an extra element of tension and possibly anger, to the outcome of a game. Venues where patrons and staff, including security staff, have longstanding relationships, could also find it difficult to enforce nonviolence rules, he said.

"Our concerns are not theoretical," said Matt Nussbaum, representing the Major League Baseball Players' Association. He cited an incident in 2018, when a known sports gambler issued death threats against five ballplayers, four of them playing for the Tampa Rays and one White Sox player.

Massachusetts Gaming Commissioner Nakisha Skinner asked how the state could justify pulling an event or a venue, calling it punishing all for the bad behaviors of a limited number of bettors.

Commissioner Eileen O'Brien reminded the panel the state has outlawed certain types of wagers including wagers on potential injuries and "demeaning bets."

Players are not allowed to make wagers on games in which they are involved.

The commissioners also suggested the players' unions reach out to licensees, those allowed to accept sports wagers, and discuss player safety with them.