A lingering iGaming bill’s deadline has been extended until this year’s session to allow lawmakers time to discuss the pros and cons of online casino gambling in the Bay State.
Will Massachusetts Take a Gamble on iGaming?
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) and its legislators have forged a reputation as an introspective body that often deliberates longer than others, but whose architecture for the gaming industry has become a national blueprint for other state agencies.
Thus, it is not surprising that Massachusetts lawmakers have decided to extend the deadline for Representative David Muradian’s iGaming proposal, H.4431, to March 16, 2026.
The concerns Massachusetts has regarding iGaming are universal, including the prospect of a 24-hour mobile casino leading to addictive behavior and financial ruin. The other issue is how it will affect existing foot traffic at brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.
However, to address the latter concern, the three Massachusetts commercial casinos would each be permitted to apply for five-year iGaming licenses. Each operator would pay a $100,000 application fee, plus $50,000 for each additional online brand, or “skin,” while a 15% tax would be imposed on revenue generated from each skin.
Not So Fast
However, in addition to the anti-gambling lobbies that oppose nearly all forms of gaming, there is a third objection, and it comes from within the Massachusetts government. The state lottery has been wildly successful in Massachusetts for decades, generating a net profit of $1.067 billion in the most recent fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
Those who run it, like Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, have publicly voiced concerns that iGaming would be in direct competition with the lottery and would diminish the public aid generated because of it, which is given to the state’s 351 cities and towns.
These discussions will take place within the next three months, and if Massachusetts gives approval to iGaming, it would only be the eighth state to do so, joining Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
A Case to Be Made for iGaming
The primary reason why iGaming has taken hold in seven states, with more contemplating its inclusion, is because of the revenue it generates. Although mobile sports betting is lucrative and has been more warmly received, online casino gambling can provide much more robust returns.
State Representative David K. Muradian Jr. is the sponsor of House bill H.4431, which would legalize and regulate online casino games, including digital slot machines, poker, blackjack, and other casino-style games, in the Bay State. Once adopted by the legislature, governance of the iGaming industry would fall to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
“Illegal internet gaming channels operating throughout the United States pose a critical threat to the safety and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth,” the bill wrote. “A secure and highly regulated policy framework will protect the public and positively benefit state revenues and the Commonwealth’s economy.”
Thomas Mills, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said recently, “The Commission believes that if you choose to gamble, the best place to gamble is with a licensed and regulated operator in the Commonwealth.”
The verdict on iGaming in Massachusetts is out until March 16th, but Bookmakers Review will continue to monitor this story as it unfolds.
