Page 7 - BusinessWest October 3, 2022

and provides a snapshot of changes in gambling behavior, attitude, and problem-gambling preva- lence since 2013-14.
“The National Council on Problem Gambling has seen a significant increase in sports-betting participation since 2018,” she told BusinessWest, noting that it has also reported an increase in people saying they had experiences with one or more impacts or harms.
“That suggests that an increase in sports bet- ting has the potential to come with increased harm, which is not a surprise, but in Massachu- setts, because the Gaming Commission already
we serve from legalizing sports gambling; if they wanted to those things, they were already doing those things. It’s the behavior more than the access.”
Still, she added, “in my opinion, where we may see more of a problem is with young people, college-age people, who may still be home with mom and dad and have more disposable income. We might see an increase there, but that’s to be determined.”
“Any time a new entertainment is starting up, it’s always going to be advertised toward young people,” Khouri-Boucher said, citing vaping as
gambling harm and problem gambling.
To mitigate those concerns, SEIGMA is advis-
ing the Gaming Commission to require opera- tors to provide player data to the MGC on a regular basis and to cooperate with researchers; to prohibit live, in-game sports betting, which
is disproportionately utilized by problem gam- blers; and to restrict advertising and celebrity endorsements, which tend to promote sports betting in young people, precipitate relapse in recovered gamblers, and counteract the effective- ness of messages advocating limited, lower-risk involvement.
Volberg noted that only four states have funded any kind of research about sports betting, while 12 have provided funding for problem- gambling services. This contrasts with Massachu- setts, where 9% of the tax revenue raised from sports betting will go into the Public Health Trust Fund that supports research and services to miti- gate gambling-related harms.
“We are in a unique position in Massachusetts to be able to monitor the impacts of sports bet- ting as it becomes legal and make adjustments to its provision so as to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms.”
Sit Back and Watch
Those benefits, as noted, are uncertain, but operators are excited about the prospects.
For maximum economic impact, SEIGMA’s report recommends issuing licenses for online operators, and a variety of them, since most sports betting is done online. That lines up with
Sports
Continued on page 45
CATHY JUDD-STEIN
“This report will aid the MGC as we begin to regulate a sports-wagering industry in the Commonwealth with an uncompromising focus on integrity and player safety.”
one example. “They weren’t looking for middle-aged people who’d been smoking for 25 years; they were looking at mid- to late adolescents. It’s kind of the same thing with sports gambling. If you’re a sports fan, you’re seeing advertis- ing that looks like the old beer commercials — everyone’s happy,
has familiarity with implementing measures to try to minimize and mitigate harm — because they already have that experience with casinos — we’re hopeful those harms can in fact be mini- mized,” Volberg added.
Alisha Khouri-Boucher, a clinical supervisor at MiraVista Behavioral Health Center, agreed to an extent. “Gambling has been a concern for a long time, but we already have a casino close by, so we don’t see a major change with the people
it’s exciting, it’s flashy. They’re targeting young people, and that’s potentially a problem.”
Indeed, SEIGMA’s study notes that sports betting occurs in all demographic groups but appeals most to young, well-educated men. It adds that problem gambling is higher among sports bettors primarily because they tend to be involved with a large number of other gambling activities, so legalizing sports betting in Mas- sachusetts has the potential to increase rates of
BusinessWest
FEATURE
OCTOBER 3, 2022 7