Massachusetts unlikely to have sports betting by new NFL season

Massachusetts is set to miss the boat on early-season NFL betting as regulators have warned that legalised wagering could still be some way off.

There were celebrations in the Bay State after a late night meeting on 1 August provided the framework for the introduction of sports betting but regulators have moved to suggest a speedy live date is some way off.

With the NFL season set to start on 8 September, sports bettors will have to wait before being able to wager in the state.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission commissioner Bradford Hill said changes won’t “happen overnight” and that the public needed to remain patient with the regulator.

He said: “We are going to do this right, and in order to do this right, we need to take our time a little bit.

“I’ve seen some quotes in the newspapers by the public and others that we are going to have this up and running in a very short amount of time, but this is going to take a little longer perhaps than people anticipate,” he added.

In many US markets, the legislation to go-live timeline has stood at around six months as an average.

However, Maryland voters approved sports betting in a 2020 ballot referendum, yet sports betting is still yet to launch there. Meanwhile, the likes of Iowa only took three months to go live. Tennessee needed 16 months.

With seven mobile skins permitted, Massachusetts could feature up to 15 online sports betting brands, including DraftKings which is based in the state’s capital, Boston, and will be desperate to make an impact.

The tax rate for land-based and online sportsbooks is likely to be 15% and 20%, respectively, with a licence fee costing $5m for a five-year period.