Massachusetts gaming regulators move forward with stalled data project
The project had originally been pushed back to allow for the casino industry to settle, but Covid-19 then delayed progress even further.
- When Massachusetts casino gambling was legalized in 2011, the enabling law required that casinos supply the Commission with data collected from player loyalty programs
- Gaming commissioners stated that making progress in the face of political and pandemic barriers was “miraculous”
Massachusetts gaming regulators have announced that the Commission will be moving forward with a data collection project that has been stalled since 2014.
When Massachusetts casino gambling was legalized in 2011, the enabling law included a requirement that casinos supply the commission with data collected from player loyalty programs.
With that data in hand, the Commission would then contract with researchers to anonymize and analyze the information in order to develop strategies to minimize high-risk gambling behavior.
“It will help us to better understand problem gambling – how it progresses, how it remits – it will allow us to create evidence-informed policies and regulations,” MassGaming Director of Research and Responsible Gaming Mark Vander Linden said.
“None of that escapes us. We take that very seriously. But this is a very complex project, and we want to make sure that we do this right. And so we are moving this project forward. There’s a lot of work that has been done, and certainly there’s more work to be done, but we’re confident that this is on track and moving forward.”
Good to know: A 2024 report from UMass Amherst’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences concluded that the prevalence of problem and at-risk gambling has not significantly changed based on player surveys
Three years after the statute, Section 97 of Chapter 194 of the Acts of 2011, went into effect, the Gaming Commission decided to delay implementing the project until all casinos were operational due to concerns about competitive disadvantages. The project was then further delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the time since the project was first put on hold, the entire Gaming Commission has now turned over.
Steps to lay the groundwork for discussions picked up steam once the Plainridge Park Casino opened, but prior to MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor opening its doors.
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