Massachusetts legal sports betting push comes up short

Massachusetts’ sports betting legalization plans appear to have hit a roadblock, likely delaying passage to September at the earliest.

On Wednesday night, the Massachusetts state Senate blocked the insertion of sports betting language into its version of the economic development bill approved earlier this week by the state House of Representatives.

The House bill, which was approved by an overwhelming margin, would have permitted sports betting via the state’s casinos and racetracks, as well as a handful of online-only operators who wouldn’t be required to partner with a land-based operator to secure a license.

The House bill was also controversial given its favorable treatment of major sports leagues, who would have been permitted to not only demand that betting operators pay to use league-supplied data for in-play betting purposes but the leagues could also enter into revenue-sharing deals with operators, which would have been a first for US betting legislation.