Sports Betting Goes Live in Massachusetts While Other States Hit Pause

This past weekend was a historic weekend in Massachusetts. It marked the start of legalized sports betting for the benefit of the state's residents. While it was all systems go in Massachusetts, there were issues that arose in other states that caused still other states to slow their respective sports betting legislative processes.

Retail Sports Betting Opens in Massachusetts

It took three years to come to fruition, but sports betting windows were finally opened in Massachusetts this past weekend. It was not a full open, but Massachusetts sports bettors were given access to three retail casinos that began officially offering in-person-only sports betting. Here are the three retail casinos that are accepting wagers:

• Encore Boston Harbor (WynnBET)
  
• MGM Springfield (BetMGM)
  
• Plainridge Park (Barstool)
  

While this is certainly good news for Massachusetts residents who have been waiting their entire lives to bet sports from home, it's not all good news. What's missing that sports bettors really want is access to online/mobile sports betting. Reportedly, access to mobile betting sites should be coming later this year.

Sports Betting Issues in Ohio Causing Other States to Pause Sports Betting Legislation

In recent months, states like North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, California, and Kentucky have made legislative overtures related to sports betting. Of these states, Missouri has seemingly been inching closer to approving some form of sports betting legislation. However, misbehavior issues have been piling up in Ohio, causing legislators in the aforementioned states to hit their respective pause buttons. How serious are these issues?

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has been busy slapping fines on several sports betting operators that have been accepting bets since the Ohio betting windows opened on January 1, 2023. Here is a partial list of reported issues:

• Barstool Sportsbook jumped the gun on sportsbook advertising (fined $250K)
  
• DraftKings shipped out advertising mailers to minors (facing a potential fine of $350K)
  
• BetMGM, DraftKings, and Caesars all failed to properly display problem gambling information (facing potential fines of $150K)
  

These are all issues that sports betting opponents are quick to mention as reasons for not wanting to pass sports betting legislation. In North Carolina, State Rep. Pricey Harrison, a progressive Democrat, has made it her life's mission to prevent the legalization of sports betting in NC. These kinds of infractions are giving her and others fodder for their efforts.

In a conversation with the press, this is what Harrison told reporters regarding the sincerity of sports betting operators:

"The industry is insincere when it talks about how it is against problem gambling and this is just more proof of that. I think they don’t like how it reflects negatively on them, but at the same time, they’re in the business of making money off gamblers. They don’t have an incentive to help problem gamblers, because that’s their cash cow."

To its credit, the OCCC was quick to act on violations. To the states that are considering sports betting legislation, these violations point to the need for regulatory scrutiny.