Lawmaker aims to legalize online gambling in Massachusetts

Massachusetts just can’t get enough of gambling expansion in the state. What’s next—online gambling, perhaps?

State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr is lobbying to authorize the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to grant online gambling licenses to the state’s two forthcoming major casinos, MGM Springfield and Wynn Everett.

Supporters of the bill believe an additional revenue stream from online gambling could help the new casinos get on their feet. “We don’t want them to be undermined by other states that allow it,” Tarr told the Gloucester Times.

Spokesman for the American Gaming Association, Chris Moyer, said that there’s varying interest in online gambling from the industry, as some view it as a way to attract more customers but others express concerns on how it could decrease visitation at land-based casinos.