MA Council on Compulsive Gambling May Close
Now is not a good time for cutbacks to affect gambling programs. Although the UIGEA is set to become law tomorrow, that does not mean it will. The law is set to make online gambling illegal, but will it work? Industry insiders are saying that it won’t. They are predicting that there is enough of a legislative push to bring amendments to the UIGEA and alternatives to the picture that the question of illegal online gambling will be changed.
The state of Massachusetts is one state that is having a hard time fleshing out the online gambling issue. It is in the midst of some serious changes regarding the hobby. Online gambling is a billion-dollar business and the state is looking to expand its gambling in an effort to overcome its huge deficit problems. Unfortunately the state’s budget is causing greater cutbacks that could soon affect its new state of operations with the acceptance of gambling.
It was just announced that the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling may have to close down due to budget cuts by Governor Deval Patrick. The agency has been a very important organization for the state and it’s offered a wide variety of services to gambling addicts. However since the recession, funding for the agency has seen a 62% decline. This huge cut in funds makes it next to impossible for the organization to continue running. The change puts the state in a precarious position since legalization and regulation of gambling is such a hot topic. One critic of the gambling issue stated, “They are going to provide all the gambling and slots people need, but when those same people become addicts, who is going to help them then?”
Although some believe that the funds from gambling and slots will fuel the economy in the state and allow it to earmark money for addiction services, there has been no formal move or committment by the government to do so. if slots are made legal and accessible in the state, some method of funding help for those in need will need to be found. Some analysts are suggesting the best option is for the state to legalize and regulate slots gambling and then portion part of the proceeds directly towards addiction services.
Tags: addiction, legal, MA, Massachusetts
