Massachusetts lawmakers aim to create tough rules for sports betting ads to reduce gambling problems. Senate Bill 302 (SB302) seeks to stop aggressive marketing by sportsbooks and add new protections against problem gambling.

Proposed Bill Seeks to Curb Sports Betting Ads and High-Risk Gambling in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has become a big sports betting center, with companies taking in over $7.4 billion in bets last year. However, worries about too much gambling promotion have led lawmakers to suggest steps that would limit advertising.

SB302 put forward by Senators John Keenan and Patricia Jehlen, along with Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, aims to ban sports betting ads during live broadcasts. The bill also tries to stop misleading marketing tricks that overstate a bettor’s winning chances.

Lawmakers have sent the bill to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies to look over. If it passes, it will change how sportsbooks work in the state, cutting down their ability to draw in new users through aggressive ad campaigns.

Besides limiting ads, SB302 suggests other steps to tackle gambling-related risks. A key part would outlaw in-play and proposition bets, which experts claim push people to bet on impulse by giving non-stop betting options throughout a game.

The bill also aims to make sportsbooks check if bettors can afford to wager over daily or monthly limits. If someone wants to bet more than $1,000 a day or $10,000 a month, the company must verify that these bets do not go beyond 15% of the person’s available bank money.

In addition, the bill would force sports betting companies to give anonymized customer information to researchers studying gambling addiction. This information would help spot harmful gambling habits and shape future plans to cut down on gambling harm.

SB302 Could Raise Taxes on Sports Betting Companies and Increase Public Health Contributions

The new law might jack up taxes for online betting sites. Right now, these companies pay 20% in Massachusetts, but SB302 wants to bump that to 51%. The bill also says bookies should chip in twice as much to the state’s Public Health Trust Fund, which helps people with gambling problems.

Senator Keenan, who is pushing hard for this bill, says gambling addiction is like the opioid mess. He warns that if regulators do not act fast, the state could end up with a major health crisis just like the one seen with drug abuse before.

The sports betting industry has pushed back hard against the bill. They claim the rules the state has now work just fine. The Sports Betting Alliance speaks for big companies like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. They point out that Massachusetts already taxes at a higher rate than most and has strong rules to protect customers.

A representative for the alliance brushed off concerns about more gambling problems. They said the numbers do not show a big jump in gambling issues since sports betting became legal.

They also stressed that most people who bet do not spend much compared to other entertainment expenses they incur. Despite pushback from the industry, the Massachusetts Department of Health notes a rise in calls to its problem gambling helpline since sports betting became legal in 2023. This pattern has backed up lawmakers’ worries and boosted calls to step in with rules.