Massachusetts remaining cautious in its approach to launching sports betting

Massachusetts "isn’t budging out of its slow-and-cautious lane” when it comes to launching sports betting, according to Michael Silverman of the BOSTON GLOBE. It took the state "more than four years" to become the 36th in the U.S. to legalize sports gambling, and it arrives with a "sense of crafting a safe and consumer-friendly bill rather than prioritizing speed." The "best case" is regulators at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission are "still months away from finalizing the details." This could mean the "second half of January at casinos and early March for online betting.” The MGC "agreed to the January-March timeline," which "even casual sports fans recognize syncs up with the Super Bowl and March Madness." American Gaming Association SVP Casey Clark said that the MGC “still has to work through issues, including possible restrictions on advertising and in-game betting” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/12).