Deborah Goldberg, the State Treasurer for Massachusetts is not giving up on her dream of seeing legislation passed for the introduction of legal online lottery products in the Bay State. Goldberg believes that this is the only way that the state lottery will be able to turn a profit in the coming years, and it will also ensure that it remains competitive with other states such as Michigan and Illinois. The State Treasurer believes that keeping Massachusetts lottery products offline will see revenues declining. It was only due to record-breaking lottery ticket sales surrounding the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot earlier this year that the lottery didn’t see a decline, she told a convention hosted by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.
The State Treasurer said that the Massachusetts lottery is the most successful in the United States and the only source of unrestricted local aid to over 350 cities and towns.
“I’d like to keep it that way,” added Goldberg.
A bill that will pave the way for legal online lottery products in Massachusetts will be filed by Goldberg before November 2nd, according to a report in the Boston Herald.
“As a former local elected official, I know firsthand that unrestricted local aid is critical,” said State Treasurer Goldberg. “It can help pay the salary of a classroom aide, provide emergency overtime for public works employees who snow plow streets all night only to collect garbage the next morning, and it delivers countless other services that communities need.”
Goldberg dismissed claims by online lottery opponents that it would be difficult to prevent problem gambling once products are taken into the realm of the internet. She said that industry experts have shown that shifting the lottery to an online platform allows for better monitoring of players who have a gambling problem. The Massachusetts Lottery will be able to set betting limits, track who plays online and how often, and allow the introduction of features such as self-exclusion – something that cannot be done through traditional lottery retailers.
The idea of an online lottery has slowly been garnering support in recent years. Last year, the Massachusetts Lottery issued an RFI (Request for Information), asking for input regarding the development, implementation and maintenance of an online lottery system, including daily fantasy sports and social gaming.
