Massachusetts legislators on Monday essentially closed the door on legalizing online casino gaming for this year after the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies unanimously voted to send the bill to study.
The 11-0 vote on H 4431, led by committee co-chair and Rep. Carole Fiola, included eight other Democrats and two Republicans. Neither Democrat Rep. Greg Schwartz nor Republican Rep. Kenneth Sweezey voted.
Bill author and Rep. David Muradian Jr. presented H 4431 to the committee at a hearing last November, pointing out that Massachusetts residents were already wagering online without any regulatory oversight.
“There are no consumer protections, no responsible gaming standards, and the bill will change that,” Muradian said at the hearing.
