Massachusetts gaming regulators are moving forward with a data collection project dealing with problem gambling that’s been on ice for almost a decade.
Gaming commissioners last week described the project’s progress as “miraculous,” navigating many moving parts and start-stops over the last 13 years.
When Massachusetts casino gambling was legalized in 2011, the enabling law included a requirement that casinos supply the commission with data collected from player loyalty programs. That data in hand, the commission would then need to contract with researchers to anonymize and analyze it and then use the information to develop strategies to minimize high-risk gambling behavior.
Researchers should be aiming to better detect and intervene in risky gambling behavior, Mark Vander Linden, the MassGaming director of research and responsible gaming, said at an open meeting last week.
