Launch time

Also: Healey proposes boost for emergency shelters; Woburn teachers' strike hits day two [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 31, 2023 🌥️ Partly cloudy, with a high near 36 and a chance of some morning snow and rain. Good Morning Boston, It's the dawn of a new era in Massachusetts, for better or worse. The state's first-ever legal sports bets will [be placed at the state's three casinos at 10 a.m. today](. And while (more popular) online sports betting platforms won't be available until March, those willing to trek to one of the state's casinos in the meantime won't be short of options. Last week, gaming regulators signed off on which sports people in Massachusetts will — and won't — initially be able to bet on. And[the list]( is lengthy. In fact, it's easier to start with what's off limits: What you cannot bet on: - High school and youth sports - College teams from Massachusetts (unless they're playing in a tournament with at least four teams, like March Madness) - Olympics events that are decided by judges (i.e. gymnastics or skating) — because the Gaming Commission had lingering questions about their "more subjective" nature - Chess — because of [a cheating scandal involving one of its top players]( - Cornhole — because of [a cheating scandal called, yes, BagGate]( - Esports — because of unanswered questions regulators had about esports' various governing bodies - Jai alai — due to an exclusive betting contract the American jai alai league has with an out-of-state company What you can bet on: - Basically all other professional sports. That includes major American and international sports leagues (NFL, NBA, etc) as well as more niche sports like beach soccer, netball and [Finland's baseball-like sport of pesäpallo](. (Editor's note: Pesäpallo [looks wild]( and it's my new obsession since learning about it last week.) Read [the full list here](. - The rules also allow betting on certain non-sports events, like the Academy Awards, Emmys and even food-eating competitions — in case you want to win some easy money on [Joey Chestnut](. - It's also very possible that betting will be allowed on judged Olympic events, chess, cornhole and esports by the time mobile betting launches in March. Regulators say they just want more time for due diligence on the integrity and oversight of those sports. Look inside: In their applications, the casinos — Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, MGM Springfield and the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville — preview [what their sportsbooks will look like](. Need a refresher? [Read my sports betting explainer]( for more on what's allowed and how the rules are different than those in other states. Remember, you have to be 21 and you can't use credit cards to bet. Risks and rewards: Some experts have concerns about what legalization means for those who may be susceptible to developing a gambling problem — and that doesn't just mean people with a history of addiction. UMass professor Rachel Volberg [talked to WBUR's Sharon Brody this past weekend]( about why adolescents, women, immigrants and college athletes are all particularly vulnerable. Reach out for help: If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, [call the state's gambling helpline](. You can also [add yourself to a list to ban yourself]( from retail and/or digital sportsbooks. In other news: - Massachusetts Republican Committee members are expected to vote tonight for a new state party chair — or the old one. WBUR's Steve Brown [reports]( it's the party's beleaguered incumbent Jim Lyons against a field of challengers who are disillusioned with the Trump-supporting MassGOP leader's strategy after another tough election year. - Tune in: Radio Boston will have a full preview of the MassGOP chair vote during this morning's 11 a.m. show. - Also today: school is out again in Woburn as a teachers' strike in the city stretches into its second day. WBUR's Max Larkin [has more here]( on the disagreements at the center of the work stoppage — including a salary floor for paraprofessionals. - Woburn officials have gotten a court injunction ordering teachers back to class, but school is still canceled due to the uncertainty. P.S.— Sports betting isn't the only big local launch today. Users of [WBUR's mobile app]( may have noticed it recently underwent a bit of a makeover. The [new and improved app now]( includes the ability to play hourly local news updates on demand — as well as my personal favorite feature: the ability to easily pause and rewind live shows. If you haven't already, download the free app now in the [Apple App Store]( and [Google Play Store]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Mass. casinos prepare to take first sports bets]( People 21 and older will be able to bet on professional and college sports games at Everett’s Encore Boston Harbor, the MGM in Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino. [Read more.]( [Mass. casinos prepare to take first sports bets]( People 21 and older will be able to bet on professional and college sports games at Everett’s Encore Boston Harbor, the MGM in Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino. [Read more.]( [Healey seeks $282 million for shelter, food aid programs]( Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called on top House and Senate Democrats to make quick work of her new supplemental budget bill, which would steer $85 million toward an emergency shelter "crisis.". [Read more.]( [Healey seeks $282 million for shelter, food aid programs]( Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called on top House and Senate Democrats to make quick work of her new supplemental budget bill, which would steer $85 million toward an emergency shelter "crisis.". [Read more.]( [Police statements tell the first version of an incident. Then video footage comes out]( Memphis authorities initially said Tyre Nichols was taken into custody after two "confrontations" with police. Video footage released later shows Nichols being fatally beaten by officers. [Read more.]( [Police statements tell the first version of an incident. Then video footage comes out]( Memphis authorities initially said Tyre Nichols was taken into custody after two "confrontations" with police. Video footage released later shows Nichols being fatally beaten by officers. [Read more.]( [A warm start to winter adds to challenges for Vermont’s logging industry]( Loggers rely on frozen ground to access certain forested areas, but that’s been difficult so far this year. And the warming climate is just one of the challenges the industry is facing. [Read more.]( [A warm start to winter adds to challenges for Vermont’s logging industry]( Loggers rely on frozen ground to access certain forested areas, but that’s been difficult so far this year. And the warming climate is just one of the challenges the industry is facing. [Read more.]( [Sec. Blinken had a plan for his visit to Jerusalem. Then he had to pivot]( U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Jerusalem has turned out to be about much more than he bargained for. [Read more.]( [Sec. Blinken had a plan for his visit to Jerusalem. Then he had to pivot]( U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Jerusalem has turned out to be about much more than he bargained for. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Two young sisters in New Hampshire are now published academics, after noticing differences in frog eggs and conducting an experiment. NHPR has [the full story of the precocious, little researchers](. - New weight-loss drugs like like Wegovy and Ozempic can be life-changing for people facing health conditions worsened by obesity. However, high prices and spotty insurance coverage are [keeping them out of reach for many](. - With Donald Trump allowed to return to major social media platforms, radio journalist Gina Kaufman [argues in this commentary]( that fighting the former president on these sites is a losing proposition. "The only way to win is to disengage," Kaufman writes.  What We're Reading 📚 - What’s inside the ‘shakers’ on the ‘salt-and-pepper-shaker bridge’? ([Boston.com]( - I wrote about high-priced drugs for years. Then my toddler needed one. ([Washington Post]( - Student. Athlete. Mogul? ([The New York Times Magazine](  Tell Me Something Good [This Maine home can stay 70 degrees without a furnace, even when it's freezing outside]( What's known as the passive house concept came to the United States in 2006, and is being used to construct buildings throughout the U.S. In Maine, there are over 100 of them, and that number is growing. Take a tour of one built by a local Maine company. [Read more.]( [This Maine home can stay 70 degrees without a furnace, even when it's freezing outside]( What's known as the passive house concept came to the United States in 2006, and is being used to construct buildings throughout the U.S. In Maine, there are over 100 of them, and that number is growing. Take a tour of one built by a local Maine company. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common[walks through Boston's plan for Mattapan](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Something seems off]( about the depiction of Newton in HBO's new show "The Last of Us." 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.