Massachusetts Legislators Weighing Online Casino Betting Bill

Online casino betting in Massachusetts is on the table in both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature, with competing bills between the state house and senate. However, they’re down to a week left to make a decision.

Rep. David Muradian (R-Grafton) has filed House Bill 4431, which would allow online casino betting in Massachusetts. Under HB 4431, the Commonwealth would also ban sweepstakes casinos. While it favors having Massachusetts’ land-based casinos offer iGaming, it doesn’t appear to make it mandatory.

The other possibility, Senate Bill 235 and House Bill 332, sponsored by Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Bristol) and Rep. Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn), would only allow online casino gambling through the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos. Both bills have taken the position that if Massachusetts residents are going to gamble anyway, the commonwealth should be regulating it and ensuring a safe way to wager.

Both bills have to be decided by next week to go into effect. HB 4431 faces a March 16 deadline, while SB 235 and HB 332 have until March 18. Given other decisions in the Massachusetts legislature, running out the clock might be the most likely scenario.

That was the fate of a competing bill, SB 302. That bill, sponsored by Sen. Lindsay Sabadosa (D-Northampton), would have placed limits on sports betting, such as how much Massachusetts bettors can wager in a day. That bill expired without a vote on March 6.

Why is Online Casino Betting in Massachusetts Under Consideration?

Massachusetts’ neighbors have forced the Bay State’s hand in this situation, as three of the six New England states have legal online casino gambling. Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island have all legalized the practice, and the geography of Massachusetts means that it’s easier for Worcester residents to cross into Connecticut rather than drive to casinos in Boston or Springfield.

Among the six New England states, Massachusetts ranked as the most restrictive regarding legal gambling. That’s still not very restrictive, as New England is home to some of the most bettor-friendly gambling laws in the United States. But it does mean that the commonwealth is potentially leaving money on the table.

Since legalizing sports betting in 2023, Massachusetts has collected more than $37 million in tax revenue. Massachusetts records show that of the $800 million wagered on sports in Massachusetts, just $10 million was spent at brick-and-mortar casinos. The remaining amount was wagered online.

However, this raises another concern, one voiced by state treasurer Deb Golding and Gov. Maura Healey: iGaming could provide competition for the Massachusetts Lottery. The state lottery is scheduled to move online this year, and both Golding and Healey worry that legalizing online casino betting in Massachusetts would simply cannibalize the online lottery and hurt commonwealth revenues. Golding expects the online lottery to generate $70 million in sales in its first year, which she thinks would be jeopardized by iGaming.

What’s The Future of Online Betting in Massachusetts?

It’s pretty unlikely that a solution will come in the 2026 session of the legislature. With the lottery moving online, the timing isn’t favorable for getting a signature on a bill anyway.

Most likely, the legislators will allow the clock to expire and try again in 2027. When they do, they’d have some new data points on how the online lottery affected the habits of casino bettors, which could help sway Healey to support.