The city’s legislators are split on the issue of allowing the
Massachusetts Lottery to sell tickets online, a measure that could
offset significant losses the coronavirus has wrought on the cash-only
system, which provides a major source of municipal funding.Get more news
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By
moving online, proponents say the Lottery could recover year-over-year
losses that numbered around 20 percent in April, lessening the financial
shock on cities and towns that need Lottery aid to balance their
budgets.
But if customers prefer playing the Lottery online over
purchasing tickets in stores, the small businesses that take a 5 percent
cut from each sale – and an additional 1 percent from the winnings -
could suffer tremendously, said Jay Patel, who owns 14 gas stations and
seven liquor stores in Massachusetts, all of which sell Lottery
products.
Patel’s convenience stores rely increasingly on Lottery
sales to survive, with the state restricting sales of mentholated and
vaporized cigarettes as well as energy drinks.
But State Sen.
Mike Brady, Brockton’s sole representative in the Massachusetts Senate,
said Lottery revenue is simply too important to rule out online
gambling.Brady, a Democrat and former Brockton city councilor, said the
results could be disastrous if the city suffers a large reduction in
aid. He hopes to offset online gambling’s negative effect on small
businesses by requiring online players to collect winnings at stores and
legalize video gaming terminals, which can be installed inside
businesses.
Gerry Cassidy, one of Brockton’s three
representatives in the Massachusetts House, said a significant drop in
Lottery aid would mean Brockton has less money for teachers, police
officers and firefighters.State Rep. Claire Cronin, a Democrat whose
district includes parts of Brockton and Easton, said legislators should
not look to online gambling as a saving grace during the budget crisis
created by the coronavirus.
Though New Hampshire and Rhode Island
have moved portions of their lottery systems online during the
pandemic, Cronin said Massachusetts needs a long period of research and
review before beginning a transition.
That hasn’t stopped Gov.
Charlie Baker’s administration from taking early steps toward legalizing
online gambling. Baker included language in his fiscal year 2021 budget
proposal that would allow players to purchase lottery products using
smartphone apps. Baker’s budget remains in the House Ways and Means
Committee.
State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s office filed a
standalone bill in 2019 to create an online lottery system, but
lawmakers have not acted on it since holding a hearing in July where
some retailer groups expressed concerns about the small-business impacts
of shifting sales to the internet.
The Wall