Hours earlier than the Massachusetts Gaming Fee convened Friday for a gathering to debate amended sports activities betting rules, MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein listened to a neighborhood Boston information section on a burgeoning younger gymnast.
The section centered on how the gymnast is utilizing social media to advertise her model, info that Judd-Stein made use of for the fee’s dialogue referring to sports activities betting endorsements by younger athletes. The MGC met Friday ready to debate a proposed regulation that will have prohibited skilled athletes beneath the age of 21 from doing industrial endorsements for sportsbooks. On the assembly, the commissioners amended language with a purpose to create a carve-out permitting endorsements by sure professional athletes.
Below the brand new language, adopted after vigorous debate, skilled athletes between the ages of 18 and 20 shall be exempt from the restriction. Commissioners Nakisha Skinner and Eileen O’Brien had expressed concern with the potential for an athlete beneath 18 endorsing a sportsbook on a industrial showing inside Massachusetts. One other commissioner, Jordan Maynard, famous LeBron James’ large branding energy when he entered the NBA in 2003 as a youngster. Ultimately, the 5 commissioners struck a compromise by unanimously approving the carve-out for 18-to-20-year-olds.
The MGC might decide to take up the difficulty once more after a gathering deliberate Monday with a bunch dubbed The Gamers’ Affiliation, that includes representatives from the NFLPA, NBAPA, MLBPA, NHLPA, and MLSPA. The fee want to obtain suggestions from the gamers unions earlier than the regulation is filed with the Massachusetts Secretary of State subsequent week.
The amended language doesn’t think about distinguished Olympic athletes beneath the age of 18. For example, Simone Biles at age 16 gained the all-around title on the 2013 USA Gymnastics Nationwide Championships. On the 2012 London Summer time Olympics, swimmer Katie Ledecky, then 15, gained a gold medal whereas setting a U.S. file within the 800-meter freestyle. Below Massachusetts guidelines, bettors might wager on a 15-year outdated swimmer within the Olympics, although the swimmer isn’t allowed to endorse a sportsbook.
Vote on sports activities wagering catalog tabled
The MGC additionally tabled a vote on the approval of an expansive sports activities wagering catalog till subsequent Tuesday’s assembly. A memo posted by the fee forward of Friday’s assembly indicated sure wagers that it might find yourself denying, primarily based on workers suggestions.
State regulation prohibits wagers on all highschool and youth sports activities. Choices on different occasions resembling chess, cornhole, esports, jai alai, skilled sports activities league drafts, and varied leisure award reveals could also be postponed till later this yr, in line with the memo, to offer the MGC additional time to look at varied integrity points.
Bettors will probably be prohibited from inserting wagers on the result of the coin toss on the Tremendous Bowl, in line with workers suggestions. As well as, Massachusetts bettors additionally mustn’t count on to wager on the kind of clothes a coach will put on on the sidelines. Prior to now, some offshore sportsbooks have provided bets on the colour of the hooded sweatshirt Patriots coach Invoice Belichick will put on for a sure recreation.
Friday’s assembly was held lower than two weeks earlier than the official launch of retail sports activities betting within the Bay State on Jan. 31, 12 days forward of the Tremendous Bowl.
Earlier this week, the MGC issued non permanent sports activities wagering operator licenses to 6 standalone digital sportsbooks: Bally Guess, Betr, Betway, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet.
The vast majority of the six standalone digital sportsbooks plan to launch in Massachusetts in March forward of the NCAA Match.
– Bally Guess
– Betr
– Betway
– DraftKings
– FanDuel
– PointsBet(by way of @MattRybaltowski)https://t.co/2PC77TJ2lg
— Sports activities Deal with (@sports_handle) January 19, 2023
Beforehand, the fee gave preliminary approval to non permanent licenses for 5 different digital sportsbooks — Barstool Sportsbook (Plainridge Park), BetMGM (MGM Springfield), Caesars Sportsbook (Encore Boston Harbor), Fanatics (Plainridge Park), and WynnBET (Encore Boston Harbor). These sportsbooks are tethered to present wagering services in Massachusetts. The MGC is concentrating on March for the launch of on-line sports activities wagering.