With a long-awaited sports betting bill now on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk, the state’s gambling regulators are preparing for Massachusetts to enter a new world of legal wagering — a step they say will likely take longer than people may expect.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission member Brad Hill said Thursday the commission will have “quite a process” to get sports betting up and running if Baker does ultimately sign the bill, and will need to take time “to ensure that we’re doing it right.”
“I want the public to understand — as we as commissioners are starting to understand — that this isn’t something that is going to happen overnight, and I think our public needs to understand that,” Hill said. “There is going to be a process that we need to go through, not only with licensing, but certifying those who come before us.”
Hill’s comments stand as a point of contrast to legislative leaders’ suggestions that they’re eyeing a quick start.
State lawmakers struck a deal on the sports betting bill in the early morning hours Monday. That same day, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues said he hoped sports betting would be in place for the football season, and House Speaker Ronald Mariano said he expects casinos Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield “will open up almost immediately” once they’re able to.
Baker, who broadly supports legalized sports betting, has until Aug. 11 to review the bill and act on it. Gaming commissioners on Thursday discussed the logistical matters they’ll have to work through if he does sign it into law, including hiring a chief for a new sports wagering division, preparing and reviewing applications for potential sports betting operators, and putting in place an array of regulations to implement the legislation.
“The overarching principle that we’re operating under is that integrity in the implementation of sports wagering is of critical importance,” said Karen Wells, the commission’s executive director. “We had this discussion last week that we only get one shot to get this right, and we intend to do that.”
Commission chair Cathy Judd-Stein said legalizing wagering on sports would not create a new form of gambling but rather take existing bets out of “the underground economy, where there have been no protections for consumers.”
She said she wanted to remind consumers that while the bill is still awaiting Baker’s action, there is still no legal way to place a bet on a sporting event in Massachusetts.
“There are nefarious operators who may still seek to gain customers in this time of transition, so again we remind the public that sports wagering is not legal in Massachusetts,” she said.
