Massachusetts Lawmakers Face March Deadline on Online Casino Bills

Massachusetts lawmakers pushing to legalize online casino gaming (or iGaming, as it’s commonly referred to) are up against March deadlines to advance legislation that would permit internet-based casino gambling – a practice that is so far legal in only eight states.

Online Gambling Bills Are Still Under Discussion

Massachusetts is among the states considering proposals to legalize online casino gaming, and several legislative proposals have already been introduced for discussion. For example, one House bill, introduced by State Rep. David Muradian, contends that regulating and licensing internet-based casino games would serve the best interests of residents. A separate measure, filed last summer in the Senate by Sen. Paul Feeney and in the House by Rep. Daniel Cahill, would permit brick-and-mortar casinos to offer online casino gaming platforms.

Online casino gambling is already well established in numerous countries around the world, such as the United Kingdom and Norway. However, these countries have also reported that since the introduction of online gambling, there has been an increase in people who have developed harmful gambling behaviors. 

Reports like these have complicated discussions on these bills, and now, lawmakers have little time remaining to vote. The bills have until the middle of March, or they will expire.

What Do Opponents of the Proposed Gambling Bills Say?

Mark Gottlieb of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University noted that the expansion of sports betting has already created a substantial new population of gamblers. According to Gottlieb, many of these individuals now seek constant gambling activity, and introducing online casino gaming would open another avenue that could significantly increase the risk of harm. He warned that broader access to online casino products could intensify existing gambling problems for many residents in Boston and beyond, noting the institute’s affiliation with Northeastern University.

Andrea Freeman, policy director for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, said online casino gambling allows people to wager at any time rather than having to physically travel to a casino such as MGM Springfield. The institute has been spearheading an advocacy campaign opposing the legalization of online casinos. Freeman also noted that in several Western Massachusetts schools, the percentage of underage youth participating in gambling – including online gambling and sports betting – has been rising significantly.

However, opponents of the new iGaming bills have also come from some unexpected places. For example, Wynn Resorts has opposed the expansion of online gambling in the state, with the company’s executive director of government relations saying that mobile gambling is significantly more addictive than gambling in person.

Whatever the case is, lawmakers in Massachusetts only have a couple of weeks left to vote on the bills before they expire.