Ron Mariano, Speaker of the House of Representatives in Massachusetts, has announced that the Sports Betting Conference Committee has reached an agreement to move forward with the previously approved sports betting legislation, Bill H5164, in the Bay State.
I am proud to announce that the Sports Betting Conference Committee has reached an agreement on legislation that will legalize wagering on professional and collegiate sports in Massachusetts, bringing the immense economic benefits of a legal sports betting industry to MA. (1/2)
— Speaker Ron Mariano (@RonMariano) August 1, 2022
Sports betting has been a contentious issue in Massachusetts since a bill was passed to legalize wagering on both professional and college sports in the House of Representatives in July of 2021. Although the House had overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, the Senate did not pass the legislation until April of 2022. The Sports Betting Conference Committee was then tasked with signing off on the bill but were still negotiating into the eleventh hour. However, an agreement was finally achieved just ahead of the midnight deadline as the legislative session ended on July 31st.
The news of an agreement will come as a surprise to some given that less than two weeks ago Mariano had stated that the two sides were ‘far apart’ on the legislation. It’s believed that the most contentious issue was the inclusion of collegiate sports betting in the original legislation.
Bill H5164, will now go to the desk of Governor Charlie Baker to be signed into law.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.