As she brought down the veto pen – using a relatively light touch to slash $317 million from 60 separate line items – Gov. Maura Healey left intact a long-sought provision that would expand the state Lottery online despite last-minute pushes to restrict its language.
The governor and the House championed the state treasurer’s proposal to allow iGaming run through the Massachusetts Lottery, touting it as a way to bring in more money for childcare grants and let the state compete with the surging online sports gambling market. The provision that ultimately made it through a compromise budget and got gubernatorial sign-off, overcoming Senate ambivalence, is a relatively broad authorization to sell and manage iGaming products through the Lottery.
