Living in Franklin County, you may not give our Springfield casino a lot of thought. But the gaming industry is now trying to legalize online gaming and sports betting. If we allow that, we’ll have gambling 24/7 on every computer and electronic device. The industry already has bills before 20 state legislatures this spring.
In Massachusetts, Senate bill S191 will change the General Laws to allow the state lottery to implement online gaming for fantasy sports, poker, and other games. It’s obviously the first step toward full implementation in the Commonwealth. The bill is under study but will be reintroduced.
Treasury wants it because they expect to lose lottery revenue to casinos. Casinos want to tie in and target younger people not as interested in traditional gambling. With two granddaughters nearing young adulthood, we are very concerned.
Does gambling solve fiscal shortfalls? The April 2016 Blinken Report of the Rockefeller Institute of Government concludes:
“If history is any lesson, gambling is only a short-term solution to state budget gaps. Gambling legalization and expansion leads to some revenue gains. However, such gains are short-lived and create longer-term fiscal challenges for the states as revenue growth slows or declines … Gambling is not a reliable and sustainable source of revenue for the states.”
Given this, do we really want to expand government-sponsored gambling even more with the potential to hurt so many of our young people?
Contact your state senator and rep. now. Enough!
David and Eileen Pratt
Springfield