Panel: Keep Mass. ‘Happy Hour’ Ban
State regulators on Thursday recommended the preservation of a longstanding "happy hour" ban that prohibits bars and restaurants in Massachusetts from reducing alcoholic beverage prices for a fixed period of time.
The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’s report was filed at the request of lawmakers who asked that the ban be reviewed in light of a new state law that will allow casinos in Massachusetts to serve free alcoholic beverages, a change that could put nearby establishments at a competitive disadvantage.
Released by Treasurer Steven Grossman, who oversees the ABCC, the report reflected the "overwhelming consensus" at hearings last year that changing the ban would compromise public safety and "result in a poor climate in which businesses would operate," according to Grossman’s office, which said that since free drinks would be offered to patrons actively engaged in gaming it "would have little impact on competition."
Said Grossman, "Public safety was a key factor in conducting this review, and the overwhelming sentiment is that scaling back the happy hour regulation would compromise the lives and well-being of the residents of the Commonwealth. The Regulation is supported by bar and tavern owners, the law enforcement community, and public safety officials, who all believe that it has played a substantial part in preventing unthinkable tragedies."
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