“College sports betting places additional stresses on that system that needs some serious reform.

“Colleges have been exploiting student athletes for decades as a huge revenue center,” he said. Legalizing betting on college sports complicates things, said Paul Debole, an assistant professor of political science at Lasell University, whose research has included a focus on gambling regulation. The House version includes college sports, and Speaker Ron Mariano has said that’s a crucial element of the legislation, while Senate President Karen Spilka has favored the Senate version, which omits college sports. Among the widest gaps between the bills is over the issue of gambling on college sports. The sports gambling bills passed by both the Senate and House share many similarities - including allowing people to place bets on sporting events from their phones - but the differences could cause a stalemate. “And the illegal market that’s been serving Massachusetts and other jurisdictions across the country for a long time doesn’t have any of those restrictions or regulatory oversight.” “And what this opportunity creates is a way to drive consumers into a safer, regulated marketplace where there are protections for responsible gaming, for helping them understand how to do this in a way that, you know, is a form of entertainment for people,” he said. People are already betting on sports in Massachusetts, Clark said.

“All eyes in the sports-betting business are in Massachusetts this week,” said Casey Clark, senior vice president at the American Gaming Association. As Massachusetts legislators face a looming deadline and work behind closed doors to overcome significant differences on a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state, the gaming industry and others focused on gambling are anxiously waiting to see where the chips fall.

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