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US Sports Betting 2023: Massachusetts Open For Business; Missouri House Moves Bill Forward

Jeff Hawkins profile picture
Sports Editor
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mass miss sports betgtuing (1)

Mobile wagering is now live in Massachusetts.

With six authorized sportsbooks, legal online betting is open for business in the Bay State.

Wicked.

Mass. Bettors Can Go Pro, But Can’t Play In College

With responsible wagers in mind, Massachusetts residents who are at least 21 years old will be able to bet on the region’s four professional teams, the NHL’s Boston Bruins, NBA’s Boston Celtics, MLB’s Boston Red Sox and NFL’s New England Patriots.

As one of the United States’ top areas for higher learning, hosting more than 250,000 college students annually, interested bettors are not allowed to wager on most in-state college athletics. Local teams participating in certain tournaments, like the NCAA men’s college basketball tourney, could be open, however.

The state’s initial six participating sportsbooks are Barstool, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and WynnBET.

Mobile sports gambling is expected to generate $35 million in annual tax revenue, according to WGBH.org.

Missouri House Approves Sports Gambling Bill

The Missouri House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill to legalize sports gambling.

The legislation, however, could face a different fate in the State Senate, according to The Associated Press.

The House voted 118-35 in favor of the bill, but the senate hurdle still may be too high.

“This is a bill that we’ve been trying to get past the Legislature for far too long,” Kansas City Democratic Rep. Ashley Aune said, as reported by AP. “Our constituents want this; we need to get it done.”

The bill includes a 10 percent tax rate on adjusted gross winnings, but some lawmakers seek a higher percentage, ABC17News.com reported.

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.

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