Massachusetts is literally poorer because of it, a misstep highlighted by the COVID-19 outbreak and its financial fallout. It wasn’t for State Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s lack of trying. She sent a bill legalizing an online Massachusetts State Lottery to lawmakers in December 2018. Sen. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, noted at the time: “It’s impossible to envision the lottery surviving without going online,” said Lesser. But the Legislature didn’t bite. Not even the example of neighboring states New Hampshire and Maine, which offered online lottery options and reaped the fiscal benefits, could budge Beacon Hill.

Massachusetts lawmakers could not have foreseen the coronavirus pandemic and its disastrous effect on the economy. But it shouldn’t take the threat of a public health crisis to spur the Legislature into green-lighting a boost to the state’s revenue. All that was needed was the ability to strike while the iron was hot and give the nod for the Lottery to go online.

But it didn’t.

And Massachusetts is literally poorer because of it, a misstep highlighted by the COVID-19 outbreak and its financial fallout.

It wasn’t for State Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s lack of trying. She sent a bill legalizing an online Massachusetts State Lottery to lawmakers in December 2018. Sen. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, noted at the time:

“It’s impossible to envision the lottery surviving without going online,” said Lesser.

But the Legislature didn’t bite. Not even the example of neighboring states New Hampshire and Maine, which offered online lottery options and reaped the fiscal benefits, could budge Beacon Hill.

Here we are in March 2020, the state is treading water as the coronavirus has shuttered businesses and caused worker layoffs, and the Lottery is still in analog form, bought and played in local stores. Except we’re in the middle of a stay-at-home advisory, and people aren’t popping down to the packie for a couple of scratch tickets.

As the Boston Herald reported, Massachusetts State Lottery sales have plummeted by $21 million in the last two weeks as Bay State residents have been grappling with the coronavirus.

Lottery sales totals went from a healthy $111.6 million during the first week of March to $88.7 million last week, according to Lottery officials, who can do little about the cratering sales amid a nationwide health crisis.

Keno sales have taken the biggest hit, down 33% because the game is largely sold in bars and taverns across the state that are now shuttered. Instant ticket sales are down 15%.

The state’s 365 cities and towns benefit from the lottery sales, so they could feel the biggest hit from the loss.

No, the Legislature couldn’t have predicted the coronavirus, but missing opportunities to add to the state’s revenue — which ultimately benefits our cities and towns — without raising taxes is just baffling. Especially as other states have gone online with their lotteries successfully.

When this crisis is over — and hopefully that will be soon — Beacon Hill should put an online Lottery if not at the top of its list, then at least in the upper half. We’ll need to replenish lost funds ASAP, and putting the Lottery online can help in that endeavor.

This is ultimately a teachable moment for lawmakers who think the people’s work should be performed at a snail’s pace. You never know what’s coming down the road, but shoring up the foundations can only help. In this case, they snoozed, and Bay State cities and towns will lose.