The Massachusetts legislature is considering cutting programs to fight problem gambling by 17 percent. This has aroused alarm among advocates, led by the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, which last week called on Governor Charlie Baker and lawmakers to restore the funding to the .2 billion 2017-2018 budget.
The amount for problem gambling in the Department of Public Health’s budget is $1.25 million, $250,000 less than last year.
A spokesman for the council decried this cut in a statement: “These cuts to problem gambling services couldn’t come at a worse time, particularly as online gambling is expanding, we anticipate new casinos opening in the coming year, and the Lottery had another record year.”
Until the state’s casinos come fully on line, the service is funding through unclaimed lottery winnings. In December, the governor made several cuts, some of which caused staff to be laid off. It also cut the availability for the problem-gambling hotline.
