Central Massachusetts senators mostly keen on sports betting as bill sits in Senate panel

As a bill to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts sits in committee in the state Senate, Central Massachusetts state senators have started issuing their voices on the subject: most support the gambling expansion, although particulars may require more debate.

Legislation to legalize wagering on sporting events was first passed by the state House in July, and the Senate version of the bill is currently sitting in the Ways and Means Committee. It hasn’t yet come to the Senate floor, even though months have passed since the House vote. Should it be passed by the Senate, Gov. Charlie Baker, a long-time supporter of sports betting, would sign it.

According to Telegram & Gazette, the Central Massachusetts Senate delegation has largely shown approval for a legal sports betting market. This is expected to bring in revenue to Massachusetts which is currently going to other states -including neighbors Rhode Islands, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York- which have already legalized sports wagering.

Among legal sports betting backers is State Sen. John Cronin, a Democrat from the Worcester and Middlesex District. "We can't be losing out to other states, and that's revenue that we need to be supporting roads and schools," he said, citing cases of residents parking their cars out of state to do sports betting on their phones.

State Sens. Harriette Chandler, of the 1st Worcester District, and Anne M. Gobi, of the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex District, Democrats, also support legalization. "Senator Chandler does generally support the legalization of sports betting in Massachusetts," a statement from Chandler's office reads, according to Telegram & Gazette. 

She agrees with the argument that sports betting already exists in the state, and that by bringing the market to light, revenue could be raised for important issues, as well as a safer environment for bettors could be created.

Meanwhile, a statement from Gobi said that while there is much information to be considered when working on the Senate version of the bill, "online gaming and the possibility of allowing gaming to take place in private clubs such as the Legion posts could be helpful to their economic viability.” She further claimed that many of the same arguments now being leveraged were also made before Massachusetts began the lottery and casinos opened.

State Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Republican from the Worcester and Norfolk District, strongly supported the bill while lamenting delays to get it passed, according to the previously cited news source. “I am surprised that we have not gotten anything done with this legislation up to this point,” he said in a statement.

Fattman believes that with its passage, the sports betting bill “could spur economic growth” through both jobs and new tax revenue for the state. Revenues could be used to improve funding for education or public safety initiatives, two “potential benefits of this legislation.”

State Sen. Michael O. Moore, a Democrat from the 2nd Worcester DIstrict, echoed this disappointment in the bill’s delay. "We have probably waited too long to enact it right now,” he said. "I think it's something that we should prioritize and get moving when we get back into session in January."

However, while sports legalization is seeing wide approval, certain issues are still up for debate. These include differentiating college athletes from professional ones, and Sen. Moore also claims the bill should include a revenue provision to fund services for gambling addiction. A debate is also to take place on whether the Senate wants to tie money to the same revenue streams the House legislation does.

Meanwhile, State Sen. James B. Eldridge, of the Middlesex and Worcester District, said he was undecided about legalization, citing a worry that sports betting locations would lead to people spending more of their money at casinos instead of nearby small businesses. Moreover, he contested the claim that taxes would report large revenue to the state.

“I really want to highlight that it's really not a lot of revenue from sports betting,” Eldridge said. "If anything my concern is that there's so much focus by the corporate interest for sports betting that it's diverting the legislators' attention from other more pressing issues."