Gov. Patrick Makes Ridiculous Online Gambling Ban Proposal

At the same time as Gov. Deval Patrick set in motion his plan to bring three casinos to the state, he is pushing a proposition to make online gambling illegal for Massachusetts residents. A stipulation in Patrick's bill to consent to the casinos recommends prison terms of up to two years and $25,000 fines for residents who gamble online.

Colleague Democrat, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, who is backing federal legislation to license and regulate online gambling all over the country, criticized Gov. Patrick’s plan. "Why is land-based gambling OK and online casino gambling is not?" Frank said. "He's making a big mistake. He's giving opponents a strong argument against him."

David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, implied the stipulation was integrated to make casino licenses more profitable by shutting down online casino gambling competition. “If you were skeptical about it, you'd think that they're trying to set up a monopoly for the casinos," he said.

Patrick spokespersons refused to clarify the governor's rationale for the proposed online gambling ban for Massachusetts and they also refused to respond Frank's remarks.

"Quite a few of the stipulations of the governor's planned resort casinos bill seek to explain the laws concerning gaming in Massachusetts, including online gaming," said Kofi Jones, spokeswoman for the governor's chief gambling adviser, Daniel O'Connell, secretary of economic development.

Patrick's casino legislation has been pushed at the Statehouse, but is not estimated to get a hearing until next year. He plans to obtain licenses for three casinos in three regions of the state, and casino developers would bid on the licenses. Patrick looks forward that they would attract 10-year licensing fees of $200 million to $300 million for each casino.

Federal law makes betting through telephone lines illegal, and the U.S. Department of Justice has understood that as outlawing all online gambling. But the government's policy has been to take legal action against the operators of online gambling websites, not the gamblers.

Patrick's stipulation would discipline parties on both ends of the transaction. It would apply to anyone in Massachusetts who places or receives a bet of any form using a telephone, cell phone, Internet, or local wireless networks.

If Massachusetts implements an online gambling ban, it would bond with states as Utah, Nevada, and Washington.

The Poker Players Alliance backs governor's plan for three Massachusetts casinos, but intends to go up against the overall bill because of the online gambling ban stipulation.

"It makes absolutely no sense to me, and it sounds kind of ridiculous if you think about it" said Randy Castonguay, director of the Poker Players Alliance division in Massachusetts.