- Two bills were introduced in Massachusetts: one to legalize online lottery ticket sales and the other to to grant Internet gaming licenses.
- No bad actor provision was introduced along with the proposed legislation, though the bill could be amended to include such language through the legislative process.
Lawmakers in Massachusetts have again introduced legislation to bring online gaming to the state.
The legalization could come in two stages: State Senator Jennifer Flanagan presented a bill that would allow online lottery ticket sales, while State Senator Bruce Tarr offered legislation that would allow the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to grant Internet gaming licenses.
Flanagan’s proposal, referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, would allow Massachusetts to partner with other states that have legalized online lotteries.
Tarr referred Senate bill number 197 (S197) to the committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Under the proposal, companies would be restricted from offering slot machine-style games.
Gaming applicants must have their suitability scrutinized by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, however no provisions are currently in place that would block operators or assets that were previously engaged in online gambling in the US after the passage of the UIGEA in 2006. Last week Nevada became the first state to pass online gaming legislation with such “bad actor” restrictions.
In October, Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General, Steven Grossman, authored a letter publicly opposing a bill that would have legalized online poker at a federal level, saying gaming should be regulated by state legislation.
A report released in December by the state’s gaming commission highlighted the importance of revenue gleaned from web-based businesses and warned that increased competition and actions by the federal government could limit the state’s ability to choose its own path.
The bills come about two years after the state passed a law to allow for land-based casinos.
Talks of legalizing online poker in Massachusetts began more than a year ago, when a state representative introduced a bill that ultimately failed to take shape.