I testified this morning on whether Massachusetts state government should begin sponsoring online gambling, a proposal, that if implemented, will ultimately open a casino and lottery retailer in every living room, bedroom and smart phone in a community.
This latest lobbying push to permit the state to promote even more extreme forms of gambling is not the result of a citizens movement. It’s the result of powerful financial interests who stand to reap billions of dollars in profits from online gambling.
There is no need to speculate whether government-regulated online gambling will benefit the public interest. The image above is a prime example of what “government-regulated” gambling looks like today in Massachusetts.
We are living through a period where a vast portion of everyday Americans are almost entirely isolated from the promise of our country. Most of the policy proposals to address what some observers have termed “the opportunity gap” seem puny in comparison to the Everest of need. But there is one policy idea that would dramatically help low-and-middle income citizens and is not ideologically divisive: renew our efforts to help everyday Americans by refusing to defraud and exploit them through government-sponsored gambling, whether in the form of lotteries, regional casinos or online gambling.
I urge you to please share your comments about this issue with Attorney General Maura Healey and her staff by January 22. Here is the info about her proposed initiative to permit internet gambling. Here is a colorful, recently published New York Times Magazine story on this important topic titled “How the Daily Fantasy Sports Industry Turns Fans Into Suckers.”
Thanks.
Les Bernal
