Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill Affecting Sturbridge Track

• A $25 million proposed horse racing track in Sturbridge Massachusetts would host sports betting if the state passes legislation for it.
• Supporters of the Sturbridge Agricultural and Equestrian Center are also heavily in favor of sports betting launching in Massachusetts.
• There is a current sports gaming bill that has been presented to the State Senate but has stalled in legislation without a vote.

STURBRIDGE, Mass. – Sports betting fans in Massachusetts could see a new $25 million venue as a retail sportsbook after a new proposed racetrack was announced.

The proposed Sturbridge Agricultural and Equestrian Center would host major races in its mile-long dirt track and seven-eighths mile-long turf track while also hosting an area for a retail sportsbook as well as an area for mobile sports betting.

This project has been presented as the Massachusetts sports betting bill remains stalled in the Senate. This will continue until they reconvene later in the year. The racetrack aspect could motivate lawmakers to expedite their review of the sports betting bill on the table.

Massachusetts Racetrack

The Sturbridge Agricultural and Equestrian Center was proposed by Armand Janjigian, a longtime racehorse owner and fixture in the Sturbridge community.

Janjigian is expecting to see $1 million in annual revenue as well as other benefits for the community with the launch of this new center. Local representatives are in favor of the center coming to fruition.

“I’m sure they heard support and concern throughout the community and it’s really going to come down to addressing those concerns and people understanding what this is and what this is not,” said Jeffrey K. Bridges Jr., Town Administrator “It’s not a casino. There are no gaming tables. There are no slot machines. As the applicant said, it’s 10 races a year, plus a series of community events that the town (is) able to coordinate with them.”

A major part of what is being pushed with the center is the revenue from a sports betting market as well as the potential for at least 100 new jobs, helping those that are unemployed in the community.

The project has support from both the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Fate Of This Massachusetts Sports Betting Bill

Those involved in this undertaking are also waiting on the legislative vote surrounding HB 3977. The bill would bring mobile sportsbooks and retail sports betting to the Bay State.

This particular measure passed in the House of Representatives but is still awaiting a vote from the Senate. The Senate has gone on Summer Break and will reconvene in the Fall.

While the project could help motivate lawmakers to sign the bill and begin working towards bringing regulated sports betting to residents, the opposite could occur and this legislation being held up or voted against could stall the project from happening altogether.

Residents will have to wait and see how successful or unsuccessful Janjigian is in bringing the idea of Sturbridge Agricultural and Equestrian Center into realization with lawmakers.

News tags: Armand Janjigian | Boston | Horse Racing | Jeffrey K. Bridges Jr | Massachusetts | New England Patriots | Sturbridge | Sturbridge Agricultural And Equestrian Center