A Massachusetts Senate committee has advanced legislation that would introduce new restrictions on sports betting and increase the state’s tax rate on wagering revenue.
The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies approved Senate Bill 302, known as the Bettor Health Act, by a 5-0 vote, sending the proposal to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.
The bill, introduced by Sen. John Keenan of Quincy, proposes changes to gambling regulation in Massachusetts, including adjustments to tax rates, advertising rules, wager types, and responsible gambling requirements.
Proposed tax increase
Massachusetts currently applies a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue from both online and retail sports betting operators. The measure proposes increasing that rate to 51%, a 155% increase, placing the state in line with the tax rates applied in New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
Keenan’s proposal also increases funding for the Public Health Trust Fund, which supports responsible gambling services and operations. Under the bill, the fund would receive $2 million annually, compared with the $1 million currently allocated each year.
Since sports wagering launched in Massachusetts on January 31, 2023, the state has collected more than $408 million in taxes and assessments from sports betting operators as of January.
The original sports betting law was passed in the summer of 2022 and signed by former Gov. Charlie Baker.
Restrictions on bet types and wagering limits
The Bettor Health Act would prohibit in-play wagering and proposition bets, requiring licensed operators in Massachusetts to remove those betting markets from their platforms.
Prop bets involve wagers on specific occurrences or statistical outcomes independent of the final score of a game. The betting type has drawn scrutiny following gambling investigations involving athletes.
Baker, now president of the NCAA, has called for a ban on proposition bets in college sports. In a January letter to state gaming commissions, he said the NCAA had opened investigations into potential game manipulation involving about 40 student-athletes across 20 schools in the past year.
According to the letter, 11 student-athletes from seven schools were found to have wagered on their own performances, shared information with bettors, or participated in game manipulation.
The bill also proposes limits on how much individuals can wager. Under the measure, bettors would be restricted to $1,000 in wagers per day and $10,000 per month with an operator.
Operators would also be required to conduct affordability checks to confirm that a bettor’s wagering activity does not exceed 15% of the total money in their bank accounts.
Responsible gambling provisions
The legislation introduces additional responsible gambling requirements for operators.
Sports betting companies would be required to collect anonymized player data for research examining “how gambling addiction develops and progresses.” Operators would also need to implement systems that detect high-risk wagering behavior.
Keenan said the bill was introduced to address the consequences associated with the rapid growth of sports betting.
“We unleashed an industry that now promotes betting on anything and everything imaginable and unimaginable all over the world, 24 hours a day, every single day,” Keenan stated during a committee hearing on November 13.
“I want to publicly apologize to those who’ve lost the opportunity to sit and watch a game just for the enjoyment of the game, I want to apologize to those who find themselves in the dark spaces of betting addiction, and to those working through recovery, and to their families and friends. I want to apologize to those who have lost loved ones to suicide because of gambling issues,” he said.
Advertising restrictions
The proposal also includes limits on how sports betting operators advertise their services.
Under the bill, sports wagering advertisements would be prohibited during televised sporting events. The legislation also seeks to ban promotional offers, including bonus promotions, same-game parlays, odds boosts, and reload bonuses, describing such marketing as unfair or deceptive acts.
The measure also addresses VIP programs, prohibiting operators, employees, and partners from receiving compensation tied to a percentage of wagers or deposits placed by a customer.
Several lawmakers have expressed support for the measure, including Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa and Sen. Patricia Jehlen.
Within the Senate committee vote, Sens. Barry Finegold, Nick Collins, John Cronin, Paul Mark, and Peter Durant voted in favor of the bill. Sen. Paul Feeney did not vote yes or no, while Sen. Liz Miranda did not vote.
The legislation now moves to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which determines whether proposals advance to a vote before the full Senate.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/11/118010-massachusetts-senate-panel-advances-bill-proposing-tax-increase-and-betting-restrictions
