US States continue to explore online gambling opportunities

The state of Delaware’s interest in regulating and licensing online gambling is now well known, but Businessweek reports that state officials have recently taken their initiatives a step further, setting up a series of meetings with representatives of the state’s gambling industry.

State financial director Tom Cook attended some of these meetings Tuesday, briefing Delaware’s Video Lottery Advisory Council at Dover Downs hotel and casino.

State officials last month proposed an expansion of gambling, including the intrastate legalisation of online gambling, giving permission for more onsite venues for gambling, and giving financial breaks to Delaware’s three existing land casinos.

Officials are encouraging the land casino operators to support their efforts, holding out the carrot of money generated from expanded gambling, which they say would allow them to eliminate the $4 million in slot machine fees paid by the existing casinos and cut their table game fees from $6.75 million to $3 million.

In Massachusetts, the Associated Press news agency reports that tribal casinos and internet gambling are two of the topics up for discussion when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission gathers for its second meeting this week.

The five-member panel will discuss a number of other gambling issues at the meeting, which is intended to lay the groundwork for future operations.

At a previous meeting the Commission voted to seek agreements with Spectrum Gaming Group and the law firm of Michael & Carroll for advice in establishing casino regulations and law enforcement procedures.

Related and similar