- Sports betting advocate and state Senator Eric Lesser announced his bid for lieutenant governor.
- Lesser believes that a regulated wagering market can be launched before elections in November.
- Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr also support wagering.
LAS VEGAS – State Senator Eric Lesser just announced his bid for lieutenant governor and stated his desire to get Massachusetts sports betting regulated and launched.
Lesser On Sports Betting
Lesser has been an advocate of getting sports betting launched in Massachusetts for some time and will be pushing for it during his campaign.
“What do we need to do to get sports betting done, which is a topic your and I have talked about a lot,” Lesser said in an interview “So that’s really the reason I’m thinking about it. And I’m open to suggestions and ideas from people about that.”
He’s also been optimistic on potentially accomplishing this goal before the election even happens.
“My hope is that we can get that done long before the campaign,” Lesser said on Tuesday, the same day he announced his candidacy. “Keep in mind the election is 10, 11 months from now.”
Other Massachusetts Support For Sports Betting
Lesser isn’t the only Massachusetts lawmaker hoping to get a regulated sports betting market launched.
“Whether or not you are a fan of gaming, or even of sports gaming, the fact is that we are leaving $30-50 million on the table,” said Bruce Tarr, Senate Minority Leader. “watching it — the activities — be conducted in other states that we could be getting the benefit of here.”
Even the Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, has been vocal in his support of getting a regulated wagering market launched.
“We filed a bill in 2019 and again this year to legalize sports betting in MA – it’s time to act and get this done. MA is losing out to many of our neighbors on this one,” said Baker in a tweet.
As the Massachusetts legislative session begins, residents and sports betting fans will have to cross their fingers that progress is made this time.