Sports betting delayed, but may come soon

Legalizing sports betting in Massachusetts was left out of the economic development bill this week, but an industry expert predicts the Bay State will get off the sports betting sidelines “soon enough.”

“We’re in the 8th inning,” Daniel Wallach, founder of the University of New Hampshire School of Law Sports Wagering and Integrity Program, told the Herald on Wednesday.

“I’ve heard nothing to suggest this will be derailed,” he added, predicting sports betting will be legalized in Massachusetts during the first quarter this year.

New Hampshire recently boasted about the revenues it’s raised through sports betting.

“In just one year, sports betting has been a MASSIVE success in the Granite State with over $300 MILLION wagered, providing over $10 MILLION in funding for our public education system,” N.H. Gov. Chris Sununu tweeted at the end of December. “NH made the right bet!”

A spokeswoman for the Gov. Charlie Baker administration said in a statement on Wednesday, “Governor Baker filed comprehensive sports betting legislation in January 2019 to make Massachusetts competitive with other states, and will carefully review the final economic development bill on his desk.”

Sen. Eric Lesser said there’s a “strong desire” in the State House to legalize sports betting in the near future.

“I personally would like to see legalization move forward in this new session, but the focus of this economic development bill was to provide COVID-19 relief to families, small businesses, and hard-hit communities in an unprecedented time, so that was our focus,” Lesser said in a statement.

DraftKings is located in Boston, Wallach noted.

“There are a lot of powerful forces that want to see it happen in Massachusetts,” Wallach said. “The professional sports teams badly want to see it happen, and the casino industry could use the boost.”