BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts lawmakers are expected to hear from casino executives, professional sports leagues and sports betting experts as they weigh proposals to legalize sports gambling.
The legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Tuesday opened two days of hearings on proposals filed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and others.
The Baker administration suggests wagering on sports events could bring in an estimated $35 million annually in revenue to Massachusetts.
The move toward sports betting was prompted by a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned federal law prohibiting states from legalizing sports betting.
Baker’s bill would allow the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to license the state’s casino operators to offer both on-site and online betting.
But Democratic leaders in the legislature have taken a more cautious approach.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press.
