Gambling Ads See Criticism From Massachusetts Gaming Commission

• Gambling in Massachusetts has been legalized since 2011.
• The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is looking to cut back on gambling ads.

BOSTON – Casino gaming in Massachusetts has been around for quite some time as it was first legalized in 2011. However, it is not until right now that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is looking to crack down on gambling ads as they are deemed to be the problem for the rise in problem gambling in the state.

The legal gambling ads in the state come from some of the different casinos that are operating within the state lines such as the MGM Grand in Springfield and the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville.

“That increased publicity and media attention about gambling aligned with those elevated rates of problem gambling, indicating that those relapses in problem gambling were not likely due to the physical availability to gamble — because the casino was not open — but rather due to the increased publicity and media attention in advance of the opening of the casino,” said Marie-Claire Flores Pajot, the research Manager of problem gambling in Massachusetts.

Just ahead of the Bay State’s upcoming sports betting bill that could be passed in 2022, the gaming commission is looking to take over on the advertising practice that these Massachusetts gambling operators have.

“Advertising to sell a product or services is nothing new. In recent years, however, advertising practices have become especially pervasive; it's no longer television commercials, billboards, and newspaper ads. Advertising today utilizes user-specific data collected through social media and other means to push out highly-targeted ads through our smartphones and other screens,” said Mark Vander Linden, commission's director of research and responsible gaming.

With advertising growing rapidly, the state has made it clear that operators are not allowed to target an audience of under 21 years old. That could be hard with sports betting coming aboard and gaining the interest of any sports fan in the state.