A new bill in Massachusetts would force operators to pull back on offerings and double the betting tax rate while a proposal in Mississippi would add digital sports betting.
On 17 January Massachusetts senator John Keenan introduced a bill that would eliminate in-play bets, introduce affordability checks, more than double the wagering tax rate and more.
Language in the bill, entitled ‘An Act Addressing Economic, Health and Social Harms Caused by Sports Betting’, mirrors that of the federal SAFE Bet Act filed last fall.
Massachusetts is known as one of the most stringently regulated legal betting states in the US. But Keenan’s proposal goes beyond current restrictions. Currently, Massachusetts bettors can make in-play wagers, but cannot place prop bets. The law also already bans betting on Massachusetts state college teams, unless the teams are playing in a tournament.
Operators have struggled with this – BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and others have been fined since digital go-live in March 2023.
Bet limits and 51% tax proposed
In addition, Keenan’s proposal would limit how much bettors can wager in a day or month – $1,000 or $10,000, respectively – without an affordability check. No US state currently mandates affordability checks. According to the bill text, daily or monthly wagers cannot exceed “15% of the amount” in a bettor’s bank account.
For the second time in two sessions, Keenan is proposing bumping the digital betting tax rate from 20% to 51%. His attempt in 2024 would have been part of the state budget bill, but was rejected.
The latest propo
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