A bill that would establish three casinos in the state of Massachusetts was recently voted down, partly due to a provision contained within the bill that would have outlawed online poker, presumably to protect the profits of the casinos the bill would license. There are now indications that the bill may return, but without the portion banning online gambling.
When the bill had come before the Massachusetts House in its original form, many of the representatives had concerns over the portion banning online gambling. A committee vote withheld their approval of the bill thanks to the abstention of a key committee member who had tried and failed to remove the clause against online gambling. Now that the controversial clause has been removed there is a good chance that the bill will meet with more success when it is reintroduced in its changed form.
The bill is favored by the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, who has been fighting ardently against the Massachusetts Speaker of the House, Salvatore DiMasi to pass the bill. The impetus behind the bill’s comeback may be due in part to DiMasi’s fall from grace, as he is fighting for his political life after some recent ethical concern were raised against him.
Currently Massachusetts is devoid of casinos, with the nearest gambling venue being the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Governor Patrick hopes that by licensing casino Massachusetts will increase their revenue and be able to provide property tax relief.