Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently surprised Boston Public Radio listeners by declaring she’s in favor of an online lottery.
When asked by show host Jim Braude if she supports an iLottery, the governor, formerly a staunch opponent of expanded gambling said, “You’re going to be shocked to hear this, Jim, but I do.”
Healey continued, “We have casinos in this state. We also have DraftKings here in the state. A lot of money is being spent there by a lot of people. And what we also have is a lottery system that right now isn’t able to compete against a company like DraftKings.”
She added, “Nothing against DraftKings. But the lottery, that’s money coming back to cities and towns. The money spent on DraftKings is going to DraftKings. I say this as somebody who really was skeptical about the whole thing. But I think it’s important for us to catch up there and meet people where they are.”
Online sports betting launched in the state on March 10.
House Democrats also recently proposed a fiscal 2024 budget that would expand the lottery online, generating $200 million in revenue to be used for early education and child care grants.
Mark William Bracken, interim Massachusetts State Lottery director, said the laws prohibiting iLottery are “a million years old.” He said the lottery has been lobbying lawmakers for an online version for more than a decade but if proposed legislation passes, an online lottery could launch by mid-2024, Bracken said.
State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who oversees the state lottery, has long been an advocate for expanding the lottery online. She’s expressed concern that legalized sports betting unfairly competes with the lottery.
Lawmakers previously passed iLottery legislation but none of the bills reached the governor’s desk.
