How will sports betting work in Massachusetts?
By Alexi Cohan
Sports fans across Massachusetts are gearing up to place bets on their favorite teams and players after the recent passage of a sports betting bill. The bill is still sitting with Gov. Charlie Baker, but experts predict Massachusetts residents could be placing bets as soon as the Super Bowl.
David Friedman, executive vice president of legal and government affairs and chief compliance officer for the Boston Red Sox, and Marlene Warner, executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health spoke with Jim Braude on Greater Boston about what gamblers can expect.
Sports betting is slated to start at casinos before it moves online, they said. Sports betting kiosks could even crop up at venues like Fenway Park, and fans will be allowed to place in-game bets.
Friedman said he was pleased with the passage of the sports betting bill, which represents a reversal in the sports industry, as top executives were once opposed to legal sports betting. “Once you focus on the massive amount of illegal betting, it kind of made sense to support legalization,” he said.
Many safeguards are built into the legislation, Warner said. This means there will be no use of credit cards or a credit extension, you must be at least 21 to bet and a portion of the revenue will go into a public health fund.