Latest legalisation attempt in Massachusetts fails

Massachusetts politicians attempting to legalise online gambling are nothing if not persistent, and this week saw the failure of yet another initiative – this one by State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.

Tarr’s tactic was to try and insert S.1826 – an internet gambling licensing proposal – as an amendment to a vital transportation finance measure, but his effort was rejected as the bill progressed through the state’s legislative machinery.

Previous attempts have seen determined state politicians who favour the legalisation of online gambling trying to attach amendments to other bills, but with the same negative result – most recently in the Senate only two months back when the target was the annual budget bill .

On the face of it, Tarr’s proposals were not extraordinary: taxation at 20 percent; licensing limited to established land casino operators; intrastate compacts possible; and licensing fees of initially $300,000 with annual renewals at $150,000.

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