Mass. Commission Seeks To Address Problem Gambling

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is discussing how to prevent and treat problem gambling once casinos come to the state.

As WBUR's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports for our Newscast unit:

The state gaming law requires casino developers to pay $5 million a year for problem gambling programs.

On Monday in Lynn, experts told the commission that there's not enough research on what works. So panel Chair Stephen Crosby said Massachusetts will do its own research.

"We're in a position where we can look around for all of the best programs everywhere, and do all of them right," he said. "And keep this negative consequence to the minimum. That's what we have to do. That's our job."

Options include training drug and alcohol counselors to screen for gambling addiction, and allowing people to sign-up for voluntary bans from casinos.