State Representative David K. Muradian Jr. plans to keep pushing for legal online casinos in Massachusetts, setting up another attempt in 2027.[1] His current bill, H.4431 — An Act relative to internet gaming, didn't make it this session.
Where the bill stands
The official record shows a fairly standard path to nowhere:[2]
- 18 August 2025: referred to committee.
- 13 November 2025: public hearing.
- 23 March 2026: folded into study order H.5269.
The committee vote on 16 March was 11–0 — but that was a vote to send the bill to study, not to approve online casinos.[3] In Massachusetts, a study order usually means the bill is shelved for the session. There is no launch date and no 2027 text yet. We list Massachusetts among the states without legal online casinos in our US online casino states round-up.
What H.4431 proposed
If a 2027 bill follows the same model, players would see something like this:[4]
- Regulation by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
- Up to three brands ("skins") per licence holder.
- A 15% tax on adjusted gross revenue.
- Application fees of $100,000 per operator, $50,000 per skin and $15,000 per supplier; five-year licences.
- Minimum age 21, with identity and location checks.
- A deposit cap of $20,000 in 24 hours, plus voluntary deposit, loss, wager and time limits and a cooling-off option of at least 72 hours.
- A ban on online sweepstakes casinos and on supporting or promoting them, with fines of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation and possible jail of up to two years for repeat offenders.
These were proposals, not rules in force.
Why it keeps stalling
Muradian frames online casinos as a way to regulate play that already happens on offshore sites, with revenue estimates tied to the proposal reaching about $200 million a year.[1] The opposition, though, comes from inside the existing gaming industry:
- Wynn Resorts worries online play would cannibalise Encore Boston Harbor.
- State Treasurer Deb Goldberg fears competition for the state lottery.
Muradian has acknowledged that a new attempt will need answers to both objections and to consumer-protection concerns.[1]
What to watch
The new session starts in January 2027. Watch for whether a refiled bill includes something for the lottery and for Encore Boston Harbor — without that, the same objections are likely to stall it again — and whether the sweepstakes ban moves forward on its own.
Sources
- Massachusetts iGaming momentum 2027 — SBC Americas, 12 October 2026 ↩
- H.4431 — An Act relative to internet gaming: bill history — Massachusetts Legislature ↩
- H.4431 committee vote — Massachusetts Legislature ↩
- H.4431 bill text — Massachusetts Legislature ↩
