Massachusetts considers online casino games and DFS

A panel is pondering on the possibility of proposing a bill to regulate online casino games and daily fantasy sports.

US.- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted to have Chairman Stephen Crosby appointed to a special panel created to study all real-money online gaming opportunities for the state. The regulator is considering an omnibus bill to regulate online casino games and daily fantasy sports.

At this point, Massachusetts has what amounts to some oversight on DFS. However, the state doesn’t currently get any tax revenue from the contests. That situation would change if Internet gambling legislation is passed. The panel will hold a meeting by November and it was created in recent state economic development legislation. Gov. Charlie Baker signed that bill in August.

Crosby was quoted back in December as saying an “omnibus regulatory bill” might make sense for the state. Then last week, he expressed his clear support for such a plan. He stressed the point that no other state has decided to regulate online casino games and DFS at the same time. The panel that Crosby will be on will include lawmakers and industry experts.

“Hopefully, this [panel] will be an opportunity for us to continue…the initiative that we’ve made about trying to come up with some omnibus legislation that will give the Legislature and then probably the Gaming Commission the tools to regulate all of online gaming,” said Crosby at the regulatory meeting.

When Massachusetts was in the process of selecting casino developers for four new gambling facilities authorised by a 2011 law, the Gaming Commission said that “Massachusetts shouldn’t do anything in online gambling until our bricks-and-mortar people are selected.” The measure was adopted to have those companies involved with any online gambling discussions. Now, a slots parlor from Penn National is open and MGM and Wynn are in the middle of construction for their respective casinos in the state.