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Date: 6/21/2021
There is a sense the region, the state and the nation is fairly optimistic about the future when it comes to the economy.
At the press conference this week where Gov. Charlie Baker announced several new programs to assist small business recovery and assistance, Springfield Mayor Domenic quipped we’re heading into “the Roaring Twenties without the 1929 stock market crash.”
Now if businesses can adjust to the new home/office hybrid model and meet the challenge of paying people at a wage level that will attract the best employees, we may be in a very good place.
The reset button should be pushed.
Part of that is bringing additional opportunities to the commonwealth and sports betting are among those that could bring in necessary additional revenue.
As state Sen. Eric Lesser explained to me in a recent interview, there are quite a number of sports betting bills in the Legislature. Lesser has one he has written, Gov. Baker has one and there are more.
What is facing the General Court and the governor is agreeing on one.
Colin Young of the State House News Service recently wrote, “As legal sports betting proliferates around the country and in nearby states, the revenue and jobs that the activity could provide is passing Massachusetts by, supporters told the Joint Committee on Economic Development on [last] Thursday morning. ‘In my mind, this decision is not dissimilar to discussions that were had in the past on cannabis ... this is something that’s already happening in our state illegally or it’s something that residents of our state are just going just over the border and taking care of and are participating in,’ Brian Kelly, the Select Board chair in border town Plainville, said. ‘And it’s nothing but a loss to our communities and our state in terms of revenue and job opportunities.’”
There is now a new twist and, in my humble opinion, one that addresses something vital to small businesses here.
State Sen. Adam Gomez and state Rep. Orlando Ramos jointly co-filed S.264 and H.531, with state Sen. John C. Velis as a lead Senate co-sponsor.
Gomez noted in a press release, “Casinos are also exempt from the Happy Hour Law, which in turn prevents small businesses from being able to change their prices day to day and allows casinos to offer free drinks to their patrons. The legislation we filed will allow small business owners to be more competitive within the sports wagering market. I’ve heard from small business owners themselves who tell me that they used to have regulars who played KENO and purchased food at their establishments; today they’ve lost about 80 percent of those customers to casinos. We need to level the playing field and support our local establishments, especially now as the bar and restaurant industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Ramos said, “Our version is the only version that has specific language directing the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in the promulgation of their regulations to take into account diversity, equity and inclusion. States like Virginia are leading the way in adding explicit language prioritizing participation from Black and Brown business owners. We have to be intentional in allowing Black and Brown businesses a fair opportunity to benefit from this new multi-billion-dollar industry.”
Their bill includes an “opt-out clause for cities and towns, giving them the power to decide whether or not to allow wagers at retailers in their municipalities. This legislation would also prohibit wagering placed on sports involving animals,” according to their press release.
We cannot afford to freeze out possible participants once again, as what has happened to the cannabis industry here.
I’m not ever going to place a bet on a sports event, however the Legislature should consider how to best distribute the opportunity so that sports wagering simply isn’t the domain of a few businesses.