The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) has reacted to a proposed law in Massachusetts, one that would seek to greatly limit the reach of social casinos and sweepstakes and enforce a complete prohibition if passed successfully.
Bay State lawmakers urged to desist from blanket ban on sweepstakes
House Bill 4431 is the latest in a series of regulatory and legislative attempts to restrict the reach of online social games and sweepstakes promotions. Should the bill succeed, it would end any social gaming and sweepstakes contests that may be currently available.
These games include slots, poker, and table games, lotteries, and even sports wagering, and have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. The SGLA has argued in instances of other similar proposals.
The SGLA also believes that the Bay State could lose a lot of the ancillary benefits that go hand-in-hand with a vibrant social gaming and sweepstakes sector.
Businesses such as payment processors, marketing companies, ISPs, and tech firms would lose momentum and would be forced to police their clients, leading to more friction and less competitive and thriving tech markets.
SGLA Executive Director and former Congressman, Jeff Duncan, had this to say, commenting on the latest proposal: "Voters do not want bans. They want smart rules that protect consumers, preserve choice, and strengthen the economy."
Modernizing the tax code does not have to come at the expense of business
Duncan warned that a blanket ban on the sector would simply criminalize legitimate businesses. Instead, the SGLA offers an alternative path – a modernization of the existing regulatory framework that also allows for greater tax contributions from the sector.
Outlawing these games completely would only backfire and cause economic and financial loss to Massachusetts, the alliance maintains.
Not least, the SGLA has said it’s prepared to collaborate with lawmakers in the Bay State and help them establish a framework that achieves the desired effect of imposing a modernized taxation framework on the sector without criminalizing it or sapping the state’s economy in the process.
The Massachusetts proposal coincides more or less with New Jersey’s decision to ban all sweepstakes, now signed into law by the Garden State’s governor.
