Gaming regulators eye `proactive' approach to high court case

State gambling regulators will examine sports betting in Massachusetts as part of a “proactive” response to a pending Supreme Court decision that could approve sports wagers nationwide.

The state’s Gaming Commission voted yesterday to spend the holidays researching a white paper on sports betting so they could educate legislators on Beacon Hill ahead of the Supreme Court decision, which could come as early as this spring.

“There are a lot of states that are teeing this up,” commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said, “and if there is a competitive consideration, we ought to get the Legislature enough of a heads-up that if they wanted to prepare ... they’d have enough time.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is challenging the NCAA’s backing of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which prohibits sports betting for all states except Nevada. If the federal law is shot down, sports betting could be allowed from coast to coast.

Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and gaming expert, said sports betting will spread like wildfire if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt if New Jersey wins that suit it’s going to go up and down the East Coast faster than you can blink an eye,” McGowan said.

The gaming commission said it would take a “cautious” approach to studying sports betting — a contrast to states such as Connecticut, which has passed a law approving the wagers pending the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Commission Director Edward R. Bedrosian suggested “a cautious approach to educating the commission, potentially the Legislature, along with the governor,” while Commissioner Lloyd Macdonald cautioned that the approval of nationwide sports betting is far from a sure outcome.