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One of many senators who negotiated a last-minute compromise to legalize sports activities betting in Massachusetts informed sports activities followers and bettors Tuesday afternoon that he expects they may have the ability to plunk down some money on the New England Patriots this season.
Speaking to the Zolak & Bertrand show on 98.5 The Sports activities Hub, Sen. Eric Lesser mentioned he “anticipate[s] and hope[s]” that Gov. Charlie Baker will signal the betting invoice this week (the governor has till Aug. 11) after which it will likely be as much as the Mass. Gaming Fee to put in writing laws and start issuing betting licenses.
“They usually’ve informed us up to now that it will take about 90 days for them to try this. We have been actively sort of speaking to them and so they’ve been following alongside so they need to be principally up to the mark on all of the completely different parts,” Lesser mentioned. “So that you’re speaking about perhaps October that the entire thing could possibly be up and working. So you realize, fairly quickly, and positively for the autumn soccer season.”
The Home and Senate have agreed on a invoice that might legalize sports activities betting, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is anticipated to signal it.
The Gaming Fee just isn’t ready for Baker’s signature and plans a gathering Thursday morning to start discussing the way it will strategy sports activities betting. The agenda requires an outline of the regulatory course of and timeline, an outline of the fee’s investigatory plan, a vote on a draft licensing software define, and a vote on a brand new chief of sports activities wagering place throughout the company.
The state’s casinos have already recognized and constructed out areas for sports activities books and Lesser agreed Tuesday with co-host Marc Bertrand that these amenities could possibly be among the many first to stand up and working on condition that they’re already identified to the Gaming Fee.
“The Gaming Fee goes to have the ability to give provisional licenses and I believe positively the identified gamers can have some degree of benefit, proper, as a result of they sort of know the method, they have been by way of background checks for the brick and mortars a minimum of again in 2011,” the senator, who has beforehand mentioned he isn’t a bettor, mentioned. “So they may have the ability to get that up and working fast.”
