Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg submits new bill calling for online expansion of lottery as sports betting gains momentum in the state Legislature
Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg has revealed plans to renew her efforts to expand the state’s lottery online as local lawmakers are gearing up to open a debate for the legalization of another form of gambling.
The Boston Herald reports that Ms. Goldberg submitted last week a bill calling for the legalization of online lottery on the territory of the state. The piece of legislation will be reviewed in the Legislature during the new legislative session starting in January.
Aside from online lottery, lawmakers are also expected to discuss the legalization of sports betting. Following the US Supreme Court’s ruling from this past May that struck down a long-standing federal ban on sports gambling, a number of states have moved to legalize and launch wagering services, including New Jersey, Delaware, and Mississippi.
The potential legalization of sports betting in Massachusetts is beginning to gain momentum as legal wagering is about to arrive to New England for the first time. Neighboring Rhode Island is set to open its first sportsbook later today at Twin River Casino in Lincoln.
Commenting on her renewed push to bring the state’s lottery online, Treasurer Goldberg said that she has “maintained that if sports betting comes to Massachusetts, we must have a seat at the table” and discuss the future of the Massachusetts State Lottery. The lawmaker has submitted similar online lottery bills on two previous occasions, but they both have failed to gain traction in the Legislature.
Gambling Expansion Would Hurt the Lottery
Massachusetts’ first commercial casino resort – MGM Springfield – opened doors this past summer and a second property of this kind – Encore Boston Harbor – is slated to launch next year. With the ongoing casino expansion and the possible legalization of sports betting, Ms. Goldberg has warned that state’s lottery, which generated just under $1 billion this year, could suffer a heavy blow.
According to a recent study by personal finance marketplace LendEDU, Massachusetts residents are the biggest spenders when it comes to buying lottery tickets, with average annual lottery ticket spending at $763 per capita. In contrast, the average American spends just over $220 a year on lottery tickets.
In Massachusetts, scratchcards account for 70% of all lottery sales. The average pay-off rate sits at nearly 74% and the prizes offered are higher than in other states, according to data from the Massachusetts State Lottery.
It is also important to note that 100% of the proceeds generated from ticket sales are going exclusively to the state’s cities and towns.
Other lawmakers have supported Ms. Goldberg’s claim that the lottery needs modernization to grow further and offset the impact of any new gambling products that become available in Massachusetts.
Sen. Eric P. Lesser has said that it is “impossible to envision the lottery surviving without going online” and that he personally believes “an online lottery makes sense.” However, the lawmaker has pointed out that he is uncertain about the success of Treasurer Goldberg’s bill. Sen. Lesser is a co-chair of the committee that oversees all gambling-related bills.
On sports betting, the lawmaker has said he expects something will be done during the upcoming legislative session and that the legalization of wagering on sporting events would certainly come as “a shot in the arm for the state’s economy.”
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