Massachusetts State Senator Mike Rush has penned a new bill which, if passed by his fellows, would legalize online gambling within the borders of his state. Rush, who also serves as a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserves, is now serving overseas in Iraq.
There is one major difference in this bill which separates it from similar legislative attempts in California, New Jersey, and Nevada. Instead of allowing patrons to make deposits with their own debit and credit cards, the proposed Massachusetts system would issue special prepaid vouchers to qualified individuals. This would allow for a greater measure of regulation while helping to ensure that the new program remains free of underage players.
“Massachusetts has always been at the forefront of innovation in state lottery gaming,” said Rush’s Chief of Staff John Regan, “and I believe that to continue to do so means adding robust online lottery gaming to the current offerings. This is more than just allowing the purchase of lottery tickets online. This is a new and interactive way of playing the lottery through new online games of chance.”
While proposals in other states have drawn interest with talks of a million dollars or so in added revenue, the Massachusetts bill is much more ambitious. According to iGamingBusiness, the state’s government could see an influx of a billion dollars each year, depending on the final shape of the law.