Mass. next in line to start online gambling

Massachusetts may be the next state to jump on the online gambling bandwagon, The Boston Globe reports. State treasurer Steve Grossman is currently putting together a task force to weigh the benefits and problems that could arise with allowing online activities.

According to the source, the task force will be reviewing lottery tickets to see if it would be worth it to allow Bay State residents to purchase tickets online. The decision comes after the recent review of the Wire Act which found that betting online within a state is not illegal. Grossman told the source that the reevaluation of the Wire Act made it necessary for Massachusetts to consider online gambling as a real option.

"[The ruling was] a surprise that accelerates the urgency of dealing with online lottery sales and online gambling in general," Grossman told the publication.

Grossman's task force will be comprised of 20 members, including representatives from the treasurer's office, the Massachusetts Lottery, regular citizens and other officials, according to the source. Some people are excited about the possible go ahead for online gambling, while others like Tom Larkin, the president of the antigambling group Untied to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, oppose it.

Do you think online gambling will come to the states no matter what? Do you think it will ultimately help or hurt the economy there?

Published on 16 January 2012