It was another slow Super Bowl weekend in Massachusetts after the state Senate passed on legalizing MA sports betting again in 2021.
That does not mean it was a quiet betting weekend for Massachusetts residents, though.
While there are no Massachusetts sportsbooks, the state is almost entirely surrounded by states with legal mobile betting. That means there were plenty of opportunities to find Super Bowl bets in neighboring states:
New Hampshire takes MA sports betting business
New Hampshire will certainly benefit from some of Massachusetts’ missed tax dollars.
According to DraftKings – the only mobile New Hampshire sportsbook – 28% of all Super Bowl bettors in the state had Massachusetts addresses.
That is a bit better than the 26% DraftKings estimated before the Super Bowl, according to the Springfield Republican.
Governor, Speaker weigh in on missed opportunity
Both Gov. Charlie Baker and House Speaker Ron Mariano noted their frustration on Twitter during the Super Bowl.
“We filed a bill in 2019 and again last year to make sports gaming legal,” Baker tweeted. “MA is losing out to neighboring states on this, especially during big games.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, and let’s make sports gaming happen!”
Baker is not running for re-election and said he would be happy to sign a sports betting bill before leaving office.
Mariano, meanwhile, was clearly irked in a thread where he mentioned the House has “repeatedly” passed betting legislation.
“That means losing millions in state revenue – an estimated $60M annually, plus $70-80M in licensing fees, that could be invested in our workforce, youth development, and communities,” he said.
As for Senate President Spilka?
Senate President Karen Spilka was not focused on the missed tax revenue on Sunday.
Her only tweet on Sunday concerned Galentines Day, which celebrates “women’s friendships and achievements.”
Spilka still does not consider MA sports betting a major priority for the Senate this year.
Sen. Eric Lesser, who is running for Lieutenant Governor, hopes an agreement on sports betting will be in place before the election later this year.