House Speaker Robert DeLeo has released the bill while demanding an almost immediate legislative vote, after years of speculation about the proper route for gambling in the Bay State. Just a few years ago, a proposal by Governor Deval Patrick attempted to license 3 casinos while outlawing online casino play. Governor Deval Patrick is a longtime supporter of slots at the tracks including two in his district, Suffolk Downs and Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere. In October, he said he would also support two or three casino resorts. He also seeks to license two stand-alone casinos, while also licensing race tracks to carry slots gaming. But, buried in the bill lies the section placing a fine of up to $25,000 on top of the potential prison sentence merely for being a customer of an online caisno sites.
On page 123 of the proposal, it states that "any person who knowingly transmits or receives a wager of any type by any telecommunication device, including telephone, cellular phone, Internet, local area network, including wireless local networks, or any other similar device or equipment or other medium of communication, or knowingly installs or maintains said device or equipment for the transmission or receipt of wagering information shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 years, or by a fine of not more than $25,000, or both such fine or imprisonment. "
Governor Deval Patrick is among many urging that the bill receive proper public hearing and debate, while House Speaker Robert DeLeo insistes that everything has already been said in past arguments and the vote should go forward. Washington is presently the only state that makes participation at online casinos a felony. While laws on operating online casino sites differ, most excuse patrons from jail terms.
Post a Comment