Photo I Courtesy of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
Timothy Murray, CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
July 10, 2024
Viewpoint: iLottery offers a solution for the budget challenges facing Mass. cities and towns
By Timothy Murray
Massachusetts communities need help. With federal COVID relief funds now dried up and the cost of doing business increasing, cities and towns are scrambling to adequately fund schools, public safety, roads and transportation. It’s why more and more municipalities are considering Proposition 2 1/2 overrides to meet growing budget challenges.
But there is a way for the state to grow its revenues and provide more money to cities and towns without raising anyone’s taxes or fees. Beacon Hill leaders could approve iLottery.
iLottery would allow the Massachusetts Lottery to offer products online and through mobile devices, complementing its portfolio of traditional lottery games sold at retail, which generate more than $1 billion in local aid distributed each year to all 351 cities and towns. The Lottery needs to remain competitive in order to grow that revenue which directly supports municipalities.
iLottery would provide an annual source of revenue that would grow year over year with a projected $230 million for the state by the end of its fifth year. Over 10 years, that number is projected to jump to $2.35 billion returned to the state. In addition to helping cities and towns, iLottery could fund the worthy but costly priorities of state leaders, including free community college, universal pre-K, and free regional public transit.
With casinos and sports betting already up and running in Massachusetts, multiple avenues for gaming are already available to state residents. If Massachusetts does not approve iLottery, the revenue may well end up going to private entities who are finding loopholes to sell Massachusetts Lottery games online or to other neighboring states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, which all already allow for iLottery.
With the budget deadline in just a few weeks, the legislature’s budget conference committee will be making some critical decisions. Approving iLottery, a new, reliable annual funding stream, could assist policymakers in achieving their legislative goals while providing relief to the significant budget challenges facing cities and towns throughout Massachusetts.
Timothy Murray, the former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, is the president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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