Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 1
Short title
Section 1. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the ''Massachusetts Sports Wagering Act''.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 23N — Authorization and Regulation of Sports Wagering
Massachusetts · statute · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N · 24 active provisions
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 2
Sports wagering and ancillary activities authorized
Section 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the operation of sports wagering and ancillary activities shall be lawful when conducted in accordance with this chapter and the rules and regulations of the commission.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 3
Definitions
Section 3. As used in this chapter the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: ''Adjusted gross fantasy wagering receipts'', the total gross receipts from fantasy contests as defined in section 11M1/2 of chapter 12, less only the total of all cash prizes paid t…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 4
Commission powers and duties
Section 4. (a) The commission shall regulate the conduct of sports wagering under this chapter. (b) The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation, administration and enforcement of this chapter. The commission may promulgate emergency rules and regulations in accordance with app…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 5
License required to engage in sports wagering activity
Section 5. (a) A person shall not engage in any activity in connection with sports wagering in the commonwealth unless all required licenses have been obtained in accordance with this chapter and the rules and regulations of the commission. (b) The commission shall not grant an operator license until it determines that…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 6
Operator licenses; category of licenses; temporary licenses
Section 6. (a) A licensed qualified gaming entity may operate sports wagering upon the approval of the commission. (b)(1) The commission shall issue a category 1 license to any holder of a gaming license, as defined in section 2 of chapter 23K, that meets the requirements of this chapter and the rules and regulations o…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 7
Application fee for operator license
Section 7. (a) An applicant for an operator license shall pay to the commission a nonrefundable processing fee of $200,000 for the costs associated with the processing of the application and investigation of the applicant; provided, however, that if the costs of the investigation exceed the initial application fee, the…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 8
Occupational licenses
Section 8. (a) All persons employed by an operator to perform duties directly related to the operation of sports wagering in the commonwealth in a supervisory role shall maintain a valid occupational license issued by the commission. The commission shall issue such occupational license to a person who meets the require…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 9
Denial, suspension or revocation of license
Section 9. (a) The commission may deny a license to any applicant, reprimand any licensee or suspend or revoke a license if the applicant or licensee: (i) has knowingly made a false statement of a material fact to the commission; (ii) has had a license revoked by any governmental authority responsible for regulation of…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 10
House rules for game play
Section 10. (a) An operator shall adopt comprehensive house rules for game play governing sports wagering transactions with the operator's patrons. The house rules shall specify the amounts to be paid on winning wagers and the effect of sports event schedule changes. An operator shall not conduct sports wagering until…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 11
Prohibited activities; requests by sports governing body or players association to restrict certain types of wagering; reporting and investigation of criminal, suspicious or abnormal activities; recording of wagers; background checks
Section 11. (a) An operator shall employ commercially reasonable methods to: (i) prohibit the operator, directors, officers, owners and employees of the operator and any relative living in the same household as any such person from placing bets with the operator; (ii) prohibit athletes, coaches, referees, team owners,…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 12
Duties of operators; data source for determining results of sporting events; use of official league data to settle tier 2 sports wagers; sharing of revenues or amounts wagered with sports governing body
Section 12. (a) An operator shall: (i) employ a monitoring system utilizing software to identify irregularities in volume or changes in odds that could signal suspicious activities and promptly report such information to the commission for further investigation; provided, however, that system requirements and specifica…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 13
Placing and acceptance of wagers; use of mobile applications or digital platforms; excluded and self-excluded persons; unclaimed winnings
Section 13. (a) Holders of category 1 and category 2 licenses may accept wagers on sports events and other events authorized pursuant to this chapter in person at authorized facilities. (b) Holders of an operator license may accept wagers on sports events and other events authorized pursuant to this chapter from indivi…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 14
Excise imposed upon sports wagering operators
Section 14. (a) An excise is hereby imposed upon a sports wagering operator or a person or entity that offers fantasy contests, as defined in section 11M1/2 of chapter 12, in the commonwealth at the rate of: (i) 15 per cent of the sports wagering operator's adjusted gross sports wagering receipts from the operation of…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 15
Sport Wagering Control Fund
Section 15. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Sports Wagering Control Fund. The commission shall be the trustee of the fund and shall expend money to finance the operational activities of the commission pertaining to sports wagering. The fund s…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 16
Failure of operator to comply with provisions of chapter, house rules, or regulations or orders adopted by commission; civil administrative penalties; hearing; judicial review
Section 16. (a) The commission may assess a civil administrative penalty on an operator who fails to comply with any provision of this chapter, house rules or any regulation or order adopted by the commission; provided, however, that the noncompliance shall have occurred after the commission has given such operator wri…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 17
Sports Wagering Fund
Section 17. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a Sports Wagering Fund which shall receive revenues collected pursuant to sections 6 and 14. The fund shall not be subject to appropriation. The commission shall be the trustee of the fund and shall transfer monies from the fund as follo…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 18
Workforce Investment Trust Fund
Section 18. (a) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Workforce Investment Trust Fund. There shall be credited to the fund any sports wagering revenue transferred from the Sports Wagering Fund pursuant to section 16. Monies transferred to the fund sha…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 19
Youth Development and Achievement Fund
Section 19. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a fund to be known as the Youth Development and Achievement Fund. The fund shall be credited any monies transferred from the Sports Wagering Fund pursuant to section 17 and all monies credited to or transferred to the fund from any other…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 20
Sport wagering kiosks feasibility study
Section 20. The commission shall conduct a study into the feasibility of allowing retail locations in the commonwealth to operate sports wagering kiosks. The study by the commission shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of: (i) the economic impact of this chapter on retail establishments that serve alcoholi…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 21
Civil penalties for violation of chapter; other operator discipline
[Text of section added by 2022, 173, Sec. 5. See also, another Section 21 added by 2022, 173, Sec. 5, below.] Section 21. (a) The commission may impose on any person who violates this chapter a civil penalty not to exceed $2,000 for each violation or $5,000 for violations arising from the same series of events. Such pe…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 22
Retaliation by operator against employee prohibited
Section 22. An operator shall not discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass or in any other manner discriminate against an employee because of any lawful act done by the employee to provide information, cause information to be provided or otherwise assist in an investigation regarding any conduct that the employee r…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 23
Annual research agenda to understand social and economic effects of sports wagering
Section 23. (a) The commission shall develop an annual research agenda in order to understand the social and economic effects of sports wagering in the commonwealth and to obtain scientific information relative to the neuroscience, psychology, sociology, epidemiology and etiology of sports wagering. The secretary of he…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23N, § 24
Determination of whether winner of cash or prize owes past-due child support or tax liability to the commonwealth; duties of operator
Section 24. (a) Prior to an operator's disbursement of cash or a prize that is subject to withholding under section 3402 of the Internal Revenue Code, the operator shall review information made available by the IV–D agency, as set forth in chapter 119A, and by the department of revenue to determine if the winner of the…