The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies in Massachusetts has unanimously passed Senate Bill 302, which looks to impose a 51% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR) produced by retail and online sports betting operators.
Originally brought forward by Senator John Keenan in 2025, SB 302 would also ban in-play wagering and proposition bets across Massachusetts, as well as prohibit a bettor from wagering more than $1,000 in a single day or over $10,000 per month.
The increase in sports betting GGR tax would place Massachusetts within the same tier as New York, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, which currently tax revenue produced by authorized sports betting operators at 51%.
SB 302, also referred to as The Bettor Health Act, was introduced to implement new standards which address economic, health and social harms related to the availability of sports wagering in Massachusetts.
Operators would be required to collect anonymous player information for responsible gaming research purposes and develop systems capable of detecting high-risk wagering by users.
The legislation also prohibits any advertisements related to sports betting from airing during televised sporting events and bans operators from highlighting bonus promotions, same-game parlays, odds boosts and reload bonuses.
SB 302 will now head to Massachusetts’ Senate Ways and Means Committee for further consideration, having previously been considered by the state’s Senate and House in 2025 prior to carrying over to the new year.
In related news, Illinois lawmakers introduced legislation on February 20 that would prevent cities and counties from regulating or taxing sports wagering, a move that directly affects an ongoing dispute between operators and the City of Chicago.
The proposal follows litigation brought by the Sports Betting Alliance after Chicago officials attempted to introduce a 10.25% tax on adjusted gross revenue generated from bets placed within city limits.
Xpoint was granted a vendor license to provide geolocation and compliance services to the regulated sports betting market in Massachusetts on March 2, having recently entered Missouri, Brazil and the UAE
