The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is trying to get its arms around the technological future of gambling – seeking bids for research into the potential impacts of "iGaming” and the use of artificial intelligence in the gaming industry.
Two requests for proposals rolled out this month as part of the gaming commission’s research agenda. These research priorities, proposed by the Gaming Policy Advisory Council and approved by gaming commissioners, signal potential concerns and expectations for gaming’s evolution in the state – with the commission in the paradoxical position of overseeing an increasingly expansive gambling universe in the state while grappling with the harms of the addictive products.
One RFP looks for an entity to conduct a study "on the impact of iGaming on public health, with particular focus on comparison of participants with participants in other forms of gaming, comorbidity with problem gambling, and impacts on youth under the age of 25 in the Commonwealth.”
Another considers "current and future possible uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in the gaming industry, with a particular focus on marketing, player acquisition, and responsible gaming functionality/player health in the Commonwealth.”
Both the iGaming and AI studies are budgeted for $75,000 – smaller-scale projects when compared to other recent MassGaming studies that have landed in the $100,000 to $150,000 range.
Massachusetts is well into a statewide embrace of gambling, kicked off by casino legalization in 2011 under then-Gov. Deval Patrick and hitting a new scale with the Gov. Charlie Baker-backed push into legalized sports betting. Gov. Maura Healey has picked up the Baker baton in pushing for the state Lottery to include online, or "iLottery,” offerings – supported by the House of Representatives but resisted for years by the state Senate.
As the industry sprawls, and concerns about the impacts of online offerings on young people grow with it, gaming regulators are hoping to get ahead of potential next waves. Of the iGaming bids, a MassGaming spokesperson on Wednesday said the study aims to evaluate the iGaming universe "preemptively.”
"Sports wagering has grown significantly since 2018,” Mark Vander Linden, director of research and responsible gaming for the commission, said in a public meeting last year, as the group discussed its research agenda going forward. "iGaming also is gaining a foothold in the United States.”
iGaming, as explained in the bid documents, is a separate issue from online sports betting. It includes digital variations of popular casino-style games or poker available through websites and mobile apps. Research on the subject is somewhat limited so far, the commission notes, with Rhode Island becoming the latest state to legalize iGaming as of 2023. Seven states allow iGaming generally, though Nevada only allows online poker.
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