Top Gaming Research Outlet Has Doubts About MA's Sweeps Ban Bill

A bill has been introduced in Massachusetts, House Bill 4431, which would legalize real-money online casinos and ban sweepstakes casinos.

However, Eilers & Krejcik, a top research firm, isn't so sure the bill will actually pass.

In its weekly newsletter, the firm wrote that “the timing is less than ideal” for the bill, which is also tied to Senate Bill 302, which would change sports betting in the state.

“The timing is less than ideal for iCasino proponents,” read a section of Eilers & Krejcik's newsletter The EKG Line. “The case for iCasino legalization was already tricky given non-unanimous industry support, but it was made undeniably harder by S 302’s sponsor Senator John Keenan, whose opening remarks included an explicit ‘apology’ for his role in legalizing OSB, which he now ‘deeply regrets.’”

Push Against Real Money iGaming In Recent Years

In Massachusetts, retail casinos and more have been against real-money iGaming. Additionally, Eilers & Krejcik believe that real-money online casinos and their future have more to do with the online sports betting scene.

With that, the firm believes that'll be what holds up iGaming.

“Overall, the hearing [for SB302] felt like an eerie preview of a dynamic we could see repeating itself in multiple states next year. Specifically, states that are likely to consider both iCasino expansion and OSB amendment bills,” EKG wrote. “First to mind are New York, Maryland, Ohio, and Virginia, where lawmakers and/or regulators have publicly called for additional OSB oversight.

“Our online casino forecast reflects a limited momentum environment already — Maryland is one of just four states that we view as having 5%+ odds to launch before 2030— but this additional headwind could thus be particularly damaging to the nascent momentum in the Old Line State.”

This Could Be Positive for Sweeps Casinos

Should House Bill 4431 fall by the wayside, that would obviously be a net benefit for sweepstakes casinos in the short term.

We've seen something similar in Ohio, where there's a bill that would ban sweepstakes casinos, but also legalize online real-money casinos. That bill hasn't gone anywhere, and, in fact, Governor Mike DeWine was against real-money online casinos.

In October, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman pretty much said that bill, House Bill 298, was dead as he didn't expect more movement in 2025.

Going back to Massachusetts, at the initial hearing for the bill, Eileen McAnneny, the person in charge of government relations for Encore Boston Harbor, which is the biggest casino in the state, said that the bill could cost upward of 1,800 jobs.

Many states, including nearby New Hampshire, have attempted to legalize online casinos, but the bills fell short.

Two-Year Legislative Cycle

While HB4431 isn't doing anything in 2025, it's still on the books for 2026 as Massachusetts' Legislature runs on a two-year legislative cycle and lawmakers come back on Jan. 7, 2026.

The hearing before the Joint Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee, as the chair of that committee, Rep. Carole A. Fiola said, was a starting point.

“I know as you alluded to in the very beginning of your presentation, this is the beginning of a conversation that the committee is going to engage in,” Fiola told Rep. David K. Muradian, the bill author. “So by having a brief testimony [today] doesn’t mean this conversation is over, certainly.”

In that hearing, the managing director of the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, Sean Ostrow, testified and talked about the possible tax revenue sweepstakes could bring to the state.

“The SGLA stands behind strong regulation and consumer protection, responsible social gameplay for adults only, fair taxation, and enabling economic development here in the Commonwealth,” Ostrow said. “We look forward to working with members of this committee to achieve these mutually beneficial outcomes.”