'Better Health Act' proposes guardrails for sports betting after witnesses describe growing harms

Senator John Keenan (presenting testimony via representative) framed S.302 as a public‑health response to the changes in sports betting since full legalization and the rise of micro‑ and prop‑betting.

"This bill bans prop bets in general and bans in‑played bets," John Peterson (presenting S.302) said, describing provisions that would require operators to conduct affordability checks, prohibit targeted 'hosts', increase the excise that platforms pay, and direct more money to a public health trust fund.

Testimony cited research linking betting availability and targeted digital marketing to increased rates of financial hardship, relationship breakdown and suicide among problem gamblers. Public‑health advocates and clinicians described helpline increases and urged expanded research and data sharing with academics so the Commonwealth can track harms and the effectiveness of interventions.

Experts recommended measures including mandatory deposit limits, revamping self‑exclusion and data‑sharing provisions, and advertising restrictions. The Public Health Advocacy Institute described S.302 as one of the stronger state models to recast sports-betting rules in light of advanced micro‑betting and targeted advertising.

Lawmakers asked witnesses for comparative data from states and the U.K.; witnesses said they would supply studies and cited increases in helpline use and clinical caseloads in jurisdictions with increasingly available online products.

Next steps: Committee members requested written research, comparative state analysis, and cost estimates. No formal vote on S.302 was recorded during this hearing.