Boston Newspaper Wants Online Poker Outlawed, But Supports Internet Lotto GamblingBay State Officials Currently Studying Merits Of Internet Casinos |
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The state of Massachusetts should not legalize and regulate online poker, but the sale of lottery tickets over the internet would be good for the commonwealth. That’s according to a dizzying op-ed this week from the Boston Globe.
The paper claimed that the Bay State shouldn’t be “an early adapter [sic]” in the online casino gaming realm. The argument hinges on the assumption that because the lottery is controlled by the state it is better for residents.
The op-ed mentioned nothing about research arguing that the lottery can be a regressive tax on the poor. Poker, unlike the lottery, is a game of skill where experienced players can break even and have free entertainment or even win money in the long run.
Basically anyone can become a solid poker player after enough hands.
The article drew no distinction between online slots and online poker.
“Nobody books a hotel room to play online poker,” the op-ed claimed. However, if the state had online poker and popular tournaments, residents of other states might very well travel to Massachusetts in order to play on a regulated site.
Online gaming is also a way to drive visitors to the brick-and-mortar setting, so the fear that internet poker would cannibalize other revenues is dubious. Poker players know that having micro-stakes available online is a great way for newcomers to practice before coming into a casino and playing $1-$2 no-limit hold’em. Live poker can be intimidating for newbies.
There’s a 90-table, Boston-area poker room from Wynn Resorts currently under construction and a 20-table Springfield room in the pipeline from MGM. Both could benefit from web poker.
Additionally, online poker from a slew of foreign companies is currently available to people in Massachusetts. Regulating online poker would bring the game out of a legal grey area.
The op-ed comes as Massachusetts officials study the pros and cons of online gaming.
States like New York and California are considering internet poker-only legislation, but the argument of the Globe op-ed presupposes that Massachusetts couldn’t do the same.
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