Another state has ended any thoughts of legalizing online casino gaming in 2026 as Massachusetts legislators abandoned the idea of authorizing the vertical and instead pledged to study it in more detail ahead of 2027.
The state Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies voted 11-0 to refer Rep. David Muradian’s online casino bill, H4431, for study rather than advancing it through the legislature in its initial form. The move put iGaming legalization on the back burner until next year as legislators look to grapple with the pros and cons of adding iCasino to their existing online sports betting market.
Muradian told the State House News Service that he plans to re-file his legislation for the 2027-28 session. “The momentum H4431 created this session will hopefully serve as a springboard to future economic growth in Massachusetts, while always focusing on consumer protections and safeguards,” he added.
Massachusetts pumped the brakes on online casino legalization days after Virginia’s effort to introduce the vertical, which passed both chambers of the state General Assembly, timed out after legislators could not come to a conference agreement on two different bills.
Massachusetts bill proposed casino licenses
Muradian filed H4431 last August. After initial discussion in the joint committee last fall, its reporting deadline was extended to March 16, 2026. The bill would have legalized online table games, slots, poker, peer-to-peer, and skill-based games under the oversight of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).
The state’s three casinos, operated by PENN Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, and Wynn Resorts, would have been eligible to apply for an online casino license. All three casinos would have been able to partner with online operators to offer up to three skins each, which would not need to have the same branding as the license-holder. The bill would have taxed online casino at 15% of adjusted gross revenue.
The bill also proposed implementing numerous player protection safeguards, including several advertising limits and banning credit cards for deposits in line with existing state law for online sports betting. It would also have explicitly banned and criminalized dual-currency “online sweepstakes gaming” that simulates casino gaming, lottery, or sports betting.
Massachusetts neighbors offer iGaming
Following the pattern generally seen in debates over online casino bills, supporters of the idea cited the need to curb an existing black market to protect Massachusetts players and generate more revenue for the state. Advocates also pointed to the fact that neighboring Connecticut already allows iGaming.
Since then, another nearby state has legalized online casino gaming as Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed off on approved legislation in December, although the state’s proposed market is subject to a legal challenge from Churchill Downs Inc.
Opposition to the bill came from people and entities concerned by the potential for problem gambling, as well as the potential for land-based casino revenues to be compromised by the introduction of online options.
Bay State already preparing for iLottery
Massachusetts is already preparing to expand its online gambling options after a years-long consideration of introducing online lottery led to Gov. Maura Healey signing a bill to legalize iLottery in 2024.
Last year, the Massachusetts Lottery selected Aristocrat Interactive as the service provider for the digital lottery product, and the platform is expected to launch this year. When it does, it will offer not only online draw game tickets but also eInstant games, which are functionally similar to online slots.
During the debate of the iCasino bill, Treasurer and Lottery Commission Chair Deb Goldberg argued that regulated iGaming would compete with iLottery and potentially threaten its revenues. “We won’t be able to compete in terms of advertising,” she said in December. “So I, right now, am firmly against iGaming.”
Massachusetts may overhaul online sports betting
Meanwhile, another piece of legislation in Massachusetts this session would overhaul the regulated online sports betting market.
Senate Bill 302, passed last week by the same committee that stalled the online casino bill, would make sweeping changes such as hiking the online sports betting tax rate from 20% to a joint nationwide high of 51%, banning all prop bets and live in-game wagers, imposing limits on how much gamblers can wager in certain time periods, and limiting advertising through measures such as a blanket ban during live sports broadcasts.
