Members of the Massachusetts House and Senate have filed legislation to add online casino games to the range of mobile gambling options available in the state. That’s welcome news for Massachusetts gamblers, but if the state’s history with gambling expansion is any indication, this is an effort that will likely take years to come to fruition.
Especially among its neighboring New England states, Massachusetts was deliberate in its regulation of land-based casino gaming and more recently sports wagering. While budget needs could expedite the process for iGaming, there are still potential obstacles.
Online casino bills start to roll out in 2025
This week, Massachusetts Rep. Daniel Cahill filed HD 4084 and Massachusetts Sen. Paul R. Feeney submitted SD 2240. Both concern the regulation of online casino games in the commonwealth.
The bills would allow current gaming license holders to offer players live dealer games, online slots, and online table games on as many as two different platforms. Additionally, there would be four opportunities for brands that don’t contract with current license holders to get into Massachusetts via “untethered” licenses.
In theory, current relationships between Massachusetts gaming facility operators and the online gambling companies they contract with for sports wagering could expand to also include online casino play. However, casinos like Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield could engage in new partnerships.
Besides licensing fees, Massachusetts would collect 20% of licensees’ revenue from iGaming. That is if the bills become law, which based on Massachusetts history, could take some time.
Massachusetts’ deliberate gaming expansion pace
The gears of government have truly moved slowly on the subject of gambling expansion in Massachusetts. Legislation to create licenses for brick-and-mortar casino gaming first surfaced in 2008 but wasn’t finalized until 2011.
Similarly, sports betting bills were filed in 2019 but none of them made it to the finish line until 2022. The expansion of lottery ticket sales to include online transactions in Massachusetts also took multiple years to complete.
To date, there are no indications that deliberations over iGaming will be more expeditious. In fact, Massachusetts Rep. David Muradian told PlayUSA in August 2024 that “realistically, the process to pass iGaming could take a few years.”
Muradian has a pending bill (HD 2393) concerning gambling that is currently in the draft stage. In August, Muradian said he would produce a proposal to regulate online casinos in Massachusetts.
Muradian also commented that he would reach out to the sponsor of separate bills to collaborate. Cahill told PlayUSA that he has “a long-standing and positive working relationship with Rep. Muradian” and has already had “productive discussions on the topic of iGaming” with Muradian.
As deliberations move forward on the bills, stakeholders will identify their stances. At least one entity seems likely to stand in opposition.
iLottery launch could complicate online casino debate
In late 2024, Massachusetts included a measure allowing the Massachusetts Lottery to sell tickets online in its budget. The Lottery initially planned to roll out the online sales platform by December 2025. However, plans have been pushed back to a 2026 launch.
With that implementation, the Lottery could express cannibalization fears. At the same time, the operators of the state’s two casinos, MGM Resorts and Wynn Entertainment, could support the expansion.
MGM has a 50% stake in BetMGM and would likely bring the leading online casino brand to Massachusetts. While Wynn has been less bullish on iGaming overall, it has committed to online gambling in states where it has a physical presence.
The revenue that online casino taxes could bring to the state might also prove a selling point, as Muradian alluded to. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is currently studying that impact along with other facets of regulated online casino apps.
The Plainridge Park slot parlor could be a wildcard but most likely, everyone involved will have plenty of time to formulate their positions. Quick action on these iGaming bills would defy precedent in Massachusetts.