SELECTIVE MORALITY IN MASSACHUSETTS

28 December 2007

Ban online gambling, but expand state lotto sales and launch land casinos


Network World took a swipe at the selective and hypocritical morality of Massachusetts politicians this week with an op-ed article reporting on the intended expansion of state lottery outlets to the doughnut-and-coffee shop sector.

"You can't play online poker, but go ahead and gamble in Dunkin' Donuts," reads the headline on the piece, which summarises Governor Deval Patrick's attempts to introduce three land casino operations to the state whilst banning any possibility of competition from online gambling. Meanwhile, state lottery officials are looking for bigger and better ways to increase lottery sales.

The Herald story reports that although the plan is in its preliminary stages, state lottery officials have confirmed they have already spoken to Dunkin’ Donuts and are drawing closer to a deal with CVS, which has begun selling scratch tickets in California.

“These are very successful businesses and we would like to partner with them,” said Dan Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the state lottery. “The more agents we have, the more (tickets) we can sell.”

Network World points out that while this is going on, Governor Patrick is "....rattling cell keys at the online poker crowd and....the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission – our officially blessed, multibillion gambling behemoth – is taking yet additional steps to ensure that residents here cannot step outside of their homes without tripping over a game of chance. Not content with the current status of a lottery outlet in every greasy spoon, watering hole, liquor store and Seven-11, the state’s gung-ho gambling purveyors are now targeting donut shops, drug stores and home-improvement centers such as Home Depot."

The article is not against gambling per se, but the hypocrisy is noted: "The state bullying poker players on one hand while squeezing every last dollar out of the proletariat with the other cheeses me off. And, having to drive to Connecticut to play poker on Friday instead of staying nearby – or here at my PC – really cheeses me off," the article ends.

"Would you like a lottery ticket with that latte?"

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