Massachusetts concerned about lottery

Whilst lawmakers are trying to legalise the online gambling industry, Massachusetts’ lottery doesn’t wanna be left in the shadows.

US.- The Massachusetts Lottery has been trying legalise online lottery for quite some time now, and officials are concerned that with the latest attempts to regulate the online gambling industry, their push could be forgotten.

State treasurer Deborah Goldberg introduced a bill that would authorise the Massachusetts State Lottery to offer online games back in January, and said online, and particullarly mobile sales are crucial to bring in young costumers. Lottery profit projections fall for the next two fiscal years as it made US$989.4 million in 2016. On the other hand, Massachusetts Gaming Commission said that the legalisation of the online gambling would help the state to regulate and tax already existing wagering sites. Additionally, it would turn the state into a technology leader.

According to Lowell Sun, a commission that was formed by the Legislature is focused on legalising and regulating fantasy sports, eSports and non-lottery online gaming, and they’re supposed to make a recommendation by July 31. Both of these commissions discussed their own agenda this week. “It’s interesting. You’re hearing about the Gaming Commission saying they want online gambling, and then the comment that I read in the paper was that there are only so many entertainment dollars. So literally, if they get online gambling and we do not get iLottery, they would be trying to capture our money that goes to cities and towns for the profit of a profitable entity, like Wynn or MGM,” said Goldberg.

Comptroller Thomas Shack from the Lottery Commission said that he finds it disturbing that as the most successful lottery in the nation they can’t offer an online service: “What you’re really doing is not only kneecapping it from the standpoint of not allowing it to participate in any kind of online way, but also you’re literally, as the treasurer said, handing the keys over to private industry.”

If the Massachusetts Lottery doesn’t have the permission to take a step into the online world, they will never be able to compete with the advertising dollars that the private casino industry pours into that effort, if they’re allowed to go online, said Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney. “So establishing the brand online, establishing the Lottery’s presence online, to me it’s really, really critical.”