During the most recent remote public meeting of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), officials have unanimously decided to ensure a $275,000 grant for the City of Springfield. Provided within the framework of MGC’s Community Mitigation Fund, the grant aims to identify and tackle gambling-related harms among young people.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Community Mitigation Fund has granted nearly $48 million to support various initiatives in communities in the neighborhood of casinos.
Following the legalization of online and retail gambling in Massachusetts in 2023, the City of Springfield received funding for the introductory study, The Springfield Young Adult Gambling Project, focused on examining the gambling behavior of young people residing in Springfield.
The new subsidy will power a research partnership, formed by a youth advisory board, public health specialists, and researchers. Thus, efforts to establish mechanisms to prevent and treat gambling-related harms will yield better results.
Jordan Maynard, MGC’s Interim Chair, commented on the grant. He highlighted how important it was to be aware of the gambling-related harms experienced by youth. He said the obtained first-hand information would directly affect the strategies developed to prevent and treat those harms.
The direct collaboration “with engaged young people in Springfield” would be particularly helpful to researchers and Commission officials to grasp the challenges faced by this particular demographic. Additionally, more programs would be eventually set up aiming to tackle gambling-related harms.
The Research Will Make Use of Digital Storytelling and Crowdsourcing
As explained by Helen Caulton-Harris, Commissioner of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services, the research efforts would include digital storytelling and crowdsourcing. “Digital storytelling can provide a safe space for participants to share their experiences and narratives around challenging topics, like gambling”, she said.
The MGC is among the gambling regulatory bodies with the most exhaustive research programs, fueled by the hands-on participation of the public. Therefore, expectations are that the program will set an example for other communities dealing with similar problems.
The MGC also reported that in 2024, there was an increase in the number of applications to study gambling-related harms. Besides Springfield, other cities that received similar grants were Boston and Melrose.
At the beginning of the current month, the Commission highlighted the Q1 financial reports provided by four of its major gambling operators. During the remote meeting, led by Jordan Maynard, it was reported that with Q1 revenue of approximately $92 million and $17.9 million in taxes, DraftKings ranked first. However, compared to Q4 2023, the revenue totals of the company decreased by nearly $1 million. FanDuel finished the first quarter with nearly $54.4 million in revenue and $10.8 million paid in taxes. Quarterly reports by BetMGM and Caesars were also discussed at the meeting.
