Massachusetts Eyes Tighter Sports Betting Ad Rules
Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing new curbs on sports betting ads with Senate Bill 302, dubbed the “Bettor Health Act.” Introduced and backed by Senators John Keenan and Patricia Jehlen, plus Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, the bill would ban all betting ads during live sports broadcasts.
Senate Bill Targets Live Broadcast Ads
It’s now with the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies for a first look. The goal’s to tamp down what Keenan calls the “unchecked growth” of sports betting and dodge a health crisis he likens to the opioid epidemic.
The proposal’s got teeth. Beyond the live ad blackout, it’d block marketing that pumps up winning odds to mislead bettors. Keenan’s pushing hard, saying addictive betting hooks, like in-play and prop bets, need a check before they spiral. “We’ve got to act now,” he told the Senate, flagging a potential public health mess. The bill also tasks the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with digging into links between problem gambling and suicide, signaling bigger worries.
It’s early days. With the session running through July 2025, SB302’s got time to move, but it’s already stirring debate in a state where sports betting’s been legal since August 2022 and pulled $11 billion in wagers by March 2025, per state data.
Health Experts Sound the Alarm
Public health folks are backing the push. They say live and prop bets are built to hook players, piling on chances to wager fast. Calls to the state’s gambling helpline spiked since legalization, per commission stats, hinting at more problem gamblers.
Former Rep. David Nangle flagged easy mobile access, especially for teens, noting, “Younger faces are showing up at Gamblers Anonymous—some still in high school.” The trend’s got experts jittery.
Keenan’s opioid parallel’s no throwaway line. Health advocates see a brewing crisis—addictive betting, youth exposure, and suicide risk that needs hard data.
The state’s $458 million in betting revenue for 2024, per Gaming Commission figures, shows cash rolling in, but at what cost? SB302 aims to slow the ad blitz fueling that growth, targeting the $150 million operators spent on Massachusetts ads last year, per industry estimates.
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