The Massachusetts sports activities betting market could also be seeing some adjustments after a lawmaker proposed new guidelines and limits on the state’s gamblers.
Sen. John Keenan launched S.302, generally known as the “Bettor Health Act.” The invoice would take a number of actions to hopefully curb playing addictions.
It would increase the tax price for on-line sports activities betting, ban advertisements throughout sport broadcasts, require operators to pay twice the quantity they contribute now to the Public Health Trust Fund, and extra. In a discussion board introducing the plan, Keenan in contrast the recognition of on-line betting to the opioid disaster.
“If we don’t see the similarities, we’re going to find ourselves again so far behind trying so hard to create an infrastructure to address it,” he mentioned.
Keenan Wants Huge Tax Increase
Since launching sports activities betting in March 2023, Bay State bettors wagered greater than $13 billion. As a outcome, the variety of calls to the state’s problem gambling helpline have drastically elevated, in keeping with studies from the Boston Globe.
The Bettor Health invoice would massively increase the Massachusetts on-line sports activities bettin tax price from 20% to 51%. The improve would put the speed on the identical stage as different close by states like New York, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Additionally, the invoice would put limits on on-line sportsbook promoting. It would ban advertisements throughout sport broadcasts, but additionally prohibit advertisements utilizing language misrepresenting a bettor’s odds of successful.
The invoice additionally bars on-line sports activities betting operators from paying staff, generally known as “hosts,” based mostly on a share of how a lot they persuade a buyer to guess. In-play and proposition bets would even be banned. Keenan notes that “public health experts warn (these bets) are designed to promote addictive behaviors.”
Here are different facets of the invoice:
- Adding sports activities brokers and promoters to the listing of these prohibited from wagering on sporting occasions
- Limit how a lot folks can guess every day until playing operators conduct affordability checks on prospects to find out they’ve adequate funds
- Direct the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to analysis the hyperlinks between drawback playing and suicide
- Require on-line operators to offer the state with buyer information on betting actions, together with wager quantities and frequency, “so qualified researchers can study problem gambling.”
The invoice notes that prospects would stay nameless and information wouldn’t embrace names, addresses, or checking account info.
Other legislators seemed to be involved about drawback playing within the state as properly. Rep. Carole Fiola filed a invoice within the state home to check sources out there to drawback gamblers and to raised promote the packages.
“We know that there are several organizations and facilitators working very hard in this space to increase access to these treatment areas, problem gambling treatment, and it’s imperative that these organizations work together to provide the best services for those in need,” she mentioned. “This legislation also wants to expand physician screening coverage for annual physicals to create another touch point for individuals to reach out. I’m proposing adding a screening question for problem gambling, the same way physicians already asked about alcohol consumption and drug use at a physical.”
Several different states are additionally contemplating tax will increase on sports activities wagering and different types of playing. Massachusetts regulators additionally not too long ago ordered Robinhood to cease providing sports activities prediction markets within the state over issues that it’s a type of unlawful playing.
