Politics & Government Place Your Bets: Stars Align On First Day Of MA Legal Sports Gambling Five months after the Commonwealth legalized sports betting the first wagers were placed at the state’s three casinos on Tuesday. Reply
New England sports champions, from left, Cedric Maxwell, Matt Light, Ty Law and Shawn Thornton line up to place their “first bets” at the Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett Tuesday morning. (Scott Souza/Patch) The windows opened at the WynnBET Sports Book at the Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett on Tuesday, as well as those at MGM Springfield Casino and Plainridge Casino in Plainville. (Scott Souza/Patch) Massachusetts residents can bet legally on the Super Bowl in the state for the first time on Tuesday. The line started at +2 for the Chiefs, but was already down to +1 by noon. (Scott Souza/Patch)
EVERETT, MA – Some of the heroes of New England’s much-celebrated recent sports past were there to welcome what could be a big part of that future for many fans when champions from the four major professional teams were among the first to place legal sports wagers in Massachusetts at the Encore Boston Harbor Casino Tuesday morning.
A half-decade after the Supreme Court rules sports gambling could be legal across the country beyond the bastion of Las Vegas, and after years of wrangling within the state legislature to make it a reality in the state as wagering became legal throughout New England and New York, the windows and kiosks officially opened at the Everett casino, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Casino in Plainville at 10 a.m. “I kind of thought it was legal for a long time,” former Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon said with a laugh as he wore the same No. 18 uniform that he did when he was a hero of the curse-breaking 2004 World Series champions. “This is going to make a lot of people happy. The thing is that Boston sports fans are very smart and educated. Picking their teams, they know they have a chance.
“I think the fans here are going to do very well.” Red Sox World Series champion Johnny Damon was back in town wearing the familiar uniform for the first day of legal Massachusetts sports gambling on Tuesday. (Scott Souza/Patch) The plan is for residents across the state to benefit beyond those who place bets at the three casinos starting this week, as well as those who play at the former race tracks and online when mobile betting launches in Massachusetts in March, with each sports book and mobile site operator putting up a $5 million initial license fee and tax revenues projected to be anywhere from $25 million to $65 million annually.
Among those sharing in the revenue pie, 45 percent of the taxes will go to the state general fund, 27.5 percent will go to local aid, and 9 percent will go to state public health programs that support problem gamblers. “Very late to the game,” U.S. House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) said. “When the Supreme Court ruled (in 2018) that sports betting was legal we began the discussion of doing this. And it took us five years now. Long after you would have thought it would. It was a negotiation.”
State Rep. Jerry Parisella (D-Beverly) told Patch that estimates from last year’s Super Bowl were that 30 percent of those betting on the game in New Hampshire were from Massachusetts and that those who now stay home to bet should get more friendly payouts with the Granite State taxing bets at 51 percent, while the Bay State is taxing 15 for retail bets (placed at a casino) and 20 percent for mobile bets. “There are so many people here,” said NFL and Patriots Hall of Famer Ty Law, who placed a $1,000 wager on the Celtics to win the NBA title as his “first bet” on Tuesday. “People have been waiting for it so you know they are doing the right thing. It’s already been approved in a lot of other casinos and a lot of other states.
“You don’t got to go to Vegas anymore. We’re in New England so we’re going to stay right here.” Celtics broadcaster and legend Cedric Maxwell shows off his $100 bet on the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl placed Tuesday at the WynnBET Sports Book in Everett on Tuesday. (Scott Souza/Patch) The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved betting on most professional, college sports, as well as “special events” such as the Academy Awards for those 21 years old and older. Betting is restricted on Massachusetts college teams, unless they are playing in a postseason tournament or a college bowl game. “We all know illegal betting has been going on,” Harvard University women’s hockey All-American and U.S. Olympic player Angela Ruggiero said. “This is now legal. Obviously, there are a lot of opportunities to bt at the pro level. It’s harder for a lot of the things that we all might be worried about to happen at that level. “So, it’s just fun.” Ruggiero said sports gambling could be a tool to help grow interest in women’s sports among those who begin watching because they have a bit of a financial interest in the outcome.
Place Your Bets: Stars Align On First Day Of MA Legal Sports Gambling
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