Two of the nation’s best hospitals—Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital—are uniting as one team to deliver the most powerful kind of cancer care. One team that performs the most surgeries and has the most specialists in New England. One team turning discovery into hope. We’re one against cancer. Discover more.
When Massachusetts grappled with the legalization of casinos more than a decade ago, promised tax revenue and union jobs were top of mind, and Beacon Hill leaders eagerly embraced the idea.
The Senate president at the time, Therese Murray, memorably pulled an imaginary slot machine lever and told a crowd of business leaders, “Cha-ching,” and Deval Patrick earned the moniker “Governor Slots” in his push for casinos, cementing them as a key part of his legacy.
But fate, as humorist S.J. Perelman once put it, deals from the bottom of the deck. Casinos now face headwinds through more competition and shifting consumer habits. Legislators are considering further legalization, through online gambling.
In the conversations about what gambling will look like in the coming years, advocates and opponents are touching on similar themes from 15 years ago about protecting gambling revenue and jobs, as well as an addiction to said revenue, and the harm inflicted on low-income individuals.
The conversations are now ramping up on Beacon Hill: On one side, the people employed by the casinos, on another those looking for the state to expand into online casino gambling (also known as iGaming), and on yet another, those who have long opposed legalized gambling.
Union leaders, including those at the Mass. AFL-CIO and UNITE HERE Local 26, still hold sway among legislators, and they are warning that iGaming legalization is a vote that could lead to job losses in the thousands and endanger revenue from brick-and-mortar casinos.
All together, the 54-year-old state Lottery, casinos and sports betting, which was legalized in 2023, bring in $1.5 billion in annual taxes, the fourth largest source of revenue behind income, sales and corporate taxes. “When adjusted for inflation, the value of casino taxes peaked in FY 2022 and has declined almost 3 percent over the last three years,” the top researcher at the left-leaning policy shop MassBudget wrote in a report released earlier this month. “This period coincided with the introduction of sports betting.”
Proponents of iGaming point to illegal online gambling raging offshore in their push to legalize and regulate the industry here in Massachusetts. Revenue will still keep flowing and live dealer jobs would still be available when a gambler online plays on their phone while virtually watching someone deal the cards, they say.
The Sports Betting Alliance is pushing legalization and hired Issues Management Group to handle media relations, and paid so far this year $255,000 to three lobbying companies, including Dempsey Associates, Bay State Strategies Group and Smith, Costello and Crawford.
Fall River Rep. Carole Fiola, who was not around for the 2011 legalization of casinos, will be stepping into the iGaming spotlight by virtue of her position as House chair of the Joint Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee.
“It would appear to be a logical next step in the gaming world,” she told MASSterList. “Is Massachusetts ready for this right now? Are we positioned properly in terms of what we've already done? That's the question that I see in the bills before us.”
“I'm not a gambler, but that doesn't affect how I think if it's for the greater good,” she added. “And we're going to look at that.”
What’s your take on iGaming? And if you’re all in, tell me what you’d bet on: [email protected].
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Applegreen's exit confirms what we've known all along. Global Partners is the best deal for Massachusetts. Global offers a superior rent commitment, clean energy solutions, and real community benefits. With deep Massachusetts roots and a ready transition plan, we stand prepared to move forward; openly, responsibly, and in the best interest of our Commonwealth. Learn more.
HAPPENING TODAY
8:00 | State House News Service and MASSterList host a policy event called "Boston @ The Crossroads: Challenges and opportunities in an evolving economy." Downtown Boston Alliance President Michael Nichols gives opening remarks. Boston Globe reporter Jon Chesto moderates a panel with Eastern Bank Executive Chair Bob Rivers; Tufts University’s Evan Horowitz; former Boston City Councilor and current downtown Boston business owner Tito Jackson; and Back Bay Association President Meg Mainzer-Cohen. | MCLE Conference Center, Winter Place, Boston | More Info & Register
8:00 | Former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, House Minority Leader Brad Jones and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr headline a breakfast briefing and fundraiser for the Mass. Republican Party. | Hampshire House, 84 Beacon St., Boston
9:30 | Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez host an event to release the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council’s first step towards recommending a statewide set of high school graduation standards. | .Attleboro High School, 1 Blue Pride Way, Attleboro
10:00 | Gov. Maura Healey hosts a ceremony celebrating the completion of $200 million in upgrades for the Bill Russell Bridge. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and state officials are slated to join. | Lovejoy Wharf Pier, Boston
FROM BEACON HILL
APPLEGREEN OUT: Applegreen, the Irish retailer awarded a contract to redevelop MassDOT's 18 highway service plazas, announced Tuesday that it has terminated lease negotiations with the agency. The decision came as losing bidder Global Partners continued to intensify its attempts to overturn the bid. — Boston Globe
MCGOVERN’S KIMMEL TAKE: Congressman Jim McGovern sent a letter to Nexstar Media Group in response to its affiliates' decision to no longer broadcast "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during programming, writing that the decision "represents an unprecedented assault on freedom of expression." — Daily Hampshire Gazette
MOULTON SCOPING THE SCENE: Several sources suggest that Congressman Seth Moulton is seriously considering waging a challenge against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in the 2026 primary election. — Boston Globe
NEWS NEXT DOOR
MATERNITY CARE LOSSES: Massachusetts has closed or filed to close maternity unit services at 11 hospitals since 2014, as a loss of maternity and obstetric care has become a trend nationwide. — CommonWealth Beacon
VINEYARDERS PROTEST RFK: As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrived at Martha's Vineyard Airport on Tuesday, protesters gathered outside of the airport and at some locations along his drive to Aquinnah, yelling and holding signs. — MVTimes
SOMERVILLE 'FOCAL POINT': More than 30 people have been detained in Somerville since January, according to city officials, who said the past weekend saw an "acceleration of ICE activity" during which ICE apprehended many of Brazilian origin who have not been convicted of violent crimes. — GBH
WORLD CUP HONORARY BOARD ADDITION: President of Bank of America Massachusetts, Miceal Chamberlain, is the most recent business leader to join the Boston 26 Honorary Board for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a board meant to help provide strategic guidance to the Boston Host Committee. — Boston Business Journal
FIREFIGHTER ON LEAVE: New Bedford firefighter Jonathan Pacheco was placed on administrative leave following a Facebook post he made about the death of Charlie Kirk, and is under investigation for violating city and department policy. — New Bedford Light
MASSBAY HOUSING PLAN SCRUTINY: MassBay and DCAMM announced a redevelopment plan in September meant to turn an underused parking lot into new housing for the community college, but the project, which is exempt from local zoning laws, is causing community concern due to its potential size and impact. — MetroWest Daily News
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Human Resources Assistant, City of Newton
Transportation Engineer, City of Newton
Senior Transportation Engineer, City of Newton
Policy Advocacy and Legislative Coordinator, Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants
Family and Child Wellbeing Advocate, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Collector/Treasurer, Town of Easton
District Aide & Communications Assistant, Office of Congressman Seth Moulton
Sanctuary Director (Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary), Mass Audubon
Communications Specialist, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
General Counsel, Longwood Collective
Legislative and Membership Administrator, Utility Contractors’ Association of New England
Director of Finance, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance
Executive Director, Massachusetts State College Building Authority
Collaborative Consultant, Providers’ Council
