Bill > S302

This bill proposes several significant changes to sports betting regulations in Massachusetts, aimed at addressing potential economic, health, and social harms. The bill would prohibit in-play bets and proposition bets, restrict sports wagering advertising during televised sporting events, and expand the definition of individuals involved in sports betting operations to include agents and promoters. It introduces a new requirement for sports betting operators to conduct affordability assessments before allowing individuals to place wagers exceeding $1,000 per day or $10,000 per month, ensuring that such wagers do not exceed 15% of a person's available bank account funds. The bill also prohibits operators, employees, and affiliates from receiving compensation based on a percentage of wagers or deposits. Additionally, it increases the commission's oversight by mandating annual reporting of anonymized customer tracking data to research entities, with the goal of understanding gambling addiction, developing harm reduction strategies, and monitoring high-risk gambling behaviors. The bill further expands consumer protection by applying unfair trade practice regulations to specific types of sports betting promotions, such as bonus offers, same-game parlays, and risk-free wagers. Other provisions include increasing the commission's representation from 20 to 51 members and raising the licensing fee from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, while also expanding research to include studies on suicide and self-harm among gamblers.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S302