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Massachusetts lawmakers are back to arguing about what sports betting should look like in the Bay State. This time, the proposal on the table would remake the market in ways the big operators won’t miss.
Sen. John Keenan’s bill (S.302) is again moving through the State House, after being refiled for the 2026 session. The latest deadline extension gives lawmakers more time to decide whether they want to keep sports betting mostly as-is, or make amendments.
The revived proposal would jack up the online sports betting tax rate to 51%, wipe out prop bets and in-play wagering, and take a hard swing at VIP programs, ads, and high-stakes play.
Sen. John Keenan’s bill (S.302) carried into the 2025–2026 session, and the Legislature’s tracker shows the reporting date was extended on Jan. 15, 2026, to Friday, March 6, 2026.
A 51% tax, and a smaller menu of bets
Massachusetts currently taxes online sports wagering at 20% under Chapter 23N. Keenan’s proposal would push the online sports betting tax rate from 20% to 51%, matching New York’s well-known rate and placing Massachusetts among the highest-taxed states for mobile wagering.
The bill also goes after the kinds of wagers that drive a lot of engagement (and profit) in modern sportsbooks. It would bar proposition bets and in-play betting, shifting Massachusetts toward a simpler, more traditional card of pregame lines rather than the constant, tap-by-tap betting that dominates many apps.
VIP programs in the crosshairs
Keenan’s bill also takes direct aim at VIP programs, where high-volume customers may get a dedicated host, tailored offers, and faster service. The proposal’s language would prohibit employees, affiliates, and partners from being paid based on customer wagering or deposits.
Supporters see that as cutting off a model that can reward pushing customers to bet more. Critics argue it’s a blunt tool that doesn’t distinguish between legitimate customer service and the kind of pressure tactics lawmakers say they’re trying to stop.
If that holds, it’s hard to see how commission-linked host programs survive in anything close to their current form.
Keenan has been increasingly candid about his concerns with the direction of the market. At a November hearing, he told the room: “When I voted to legalize sports betting, I never thought it would become what it is.”
Affordability checks at $1,000 a day or $10,000 a month
The bill would require operators to run an affordability assessment for bettors trying to wager more than $1,000 per day or $10,000 per month, and only allow play at that level if the amounts wagered “do not exceed 15 per cent” of what the person has available in a bank account.
Sports betting ads during televised events would be banned
S.302 also adds “advertising related to sports wagering during a televised sporting event” to the list of prohibited conduct.
All eyes waiting for the final decision
S.302 is still in committee territory, but the March 6 reporting deadline extension is the date to watch because it’s the next procedural pressure point.
If the bill starts moving, operators will fixate on a 51% tax and bet-type bans; public health voices will point to affordability checks, ad limits, and data-backed research mandates; and lawmakers will have to decide whether they want Massachusetts to look more like a tightly restricted market, or keep the current model and adjust around the edges.
Source: InGame
