Massachusetts Online Gambling Bill Rears Its Ugly Head Again
Just when you thought you had heard the last of Massachusetts’ attempt to make online gambling and poker illegal, the same section has appeared in yet another piece of gambling legislation in the Bay State. This time, the clause has been added to the Slots Bill, currently being promoted by Representative David Flynn. His bill serves to allow slot machines at all of the horse racing tracks in the state, as an attempt to boost revenue. In a hearing regarding the bill, Massachusetts Governor Patrick revealed that the source of the section is the current MA Attorney General Martha Coakley. This revelation came on the heels of requests from Professor Nesson of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society.
The wording is the same as in the recent casino bill that was shot down by the MA legislature. The casino bill was introduced by Governor Patrick and would have allowed the building of land-based casinos within the state. The section of the bills that is concerning implements prison sentences and exorbitant fines for those who are found to “transmit or receive wagers of any type by any telecommunication device, including telephone, cellular phone, Internet, or local area network.” This would include all types of online gaming, including poker.
The PPA lobbied strongly against the first appearance of these bans within legislation and are working hard to bring awareness to the clause being reintroduced within this second bill. At the moment, speculation is that it is unlikely that this bill will pass, however support from the poker players of Massachusetts will help to ensure that it is tabled
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