PHAI Files Lawsuit Against Massachusetts Regulator Over Data Transparency

The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) is on the move with a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). 

PHAI Cites Violations of 2011 Gaming Legislation’s Data Requirements

PHAI took the lawsuit to Suffolk Superior Court because it thinks the Commission is not following the stipulations of a decade-old rule — the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act. According to this act, the Commission has to get non-identifiable information on how people gamble at casinos and then provide it to researchers so they can figure out how gambling affects people’s health. The PHAI reckons that by not picking up and handing out this data, the MGC is making it tough for studies on gambling addiction and the overall well-being of state residents.

PHAI, an organization that uses the law to support public health, says required data is key to finding and reducing risky gambling habits. This information, according to PHAI, helps experts look into how casinos affect gamers, figure out who is at risk of getting hooked, and steer changes in rules. Even though the law has been around since 2011, the MGC has not provided this data yet. That means people making policies and the ones studying the dangers tied to casinos do not have access to valuable insights.

PHAI’s Lawsuit Signals a Key Move in Advocating for Casino Data Access and Sports Gambling Oversight

The legal action marks a major step up in the work PHAI has been pushing forward. PHAI’s President, Richard Daynard, said: “Not only should this casino data have been made available years ago, but this is exactly the kind of data requirement that should be imposed on sports gambling, which has exploded here in the past 20 months. At PHAI, we look forward to working with the Massachusetts legislature to ensure that a similar statutory obligation is imposed on sports gambling operators here in the Commonwealth.”

The lawsuit from PHAI points out how the MGC did not meet its legal duty even though Massachusetts started collecting this data before anywhere else in the US. This shortfall leaves the public and lawmakers without key information that could shape the rules.

Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director at PHAI, underscored this missed opportunity, noting that the Commission has been legally obligated to share the data since its inception and that the continued delays hinder efforts to address gambling-related harm effectively.

The MGC admits that gathering data has taken longer than planned. Mark Vander Linden, its Research and Responsible Gaming director, blames issues like the COVID-19 outbreak for the slow progress. Vander Linden recently informed the Commission that they were in the process of securing a provider to anonymize and store the data, a step expected to be completed by December 1.