Washington, DC (April 14, 2010) -The Massachusetts House of Representatives yesterday approved a Poker Players Alliance-supported amendment to the state's gaming legislation (http://www.mass.gov/legis/house/ggrc.pdf) which removed language criminalizing playing online poker and other gaming over the Internet. The bill should meet final passage later today.

Washington, DC (February 23, 2010) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide and over 25,000 members in Massachusetts, will testify today before the Massachusetts State Legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies as the committee considers H4069, which would classify poker as a game of skill in the state of Massachusetts.

Washington, DC (October 29, 2009) –The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide and more than 25,000 in Massachusetts, testifies today before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies calling for licensing and regulation of online poker.

Boston - Casino opponents rallied on Beacon Hill on Wednesday, a day after the House speaker said expanded gambling would be debated this legislative session. Casino Free Massachusetts, a coalition of casino foes, sent to all legislators copies of "fool's gold," or materials that outlined studies that show the economic problems...

Boston - Voters in Massachusetts will soon decide whether greyhound racing should continue there, though the real question might be whether the once-popular sport dies a quick death or a slow one. Across the country, the legions of blue-collar fans the industry relied on have been lured away by casinos, lotteries, online gambling and other forms of betting. Track owners fighting the proposed ban fiercely oppose claims that the dogs are mistreated.

Governor Deval Patrick had his casino gambling proposal shot down by the legislature in Massachusetts shortly after he took office. He vowed that he would continue his fight even after the defeat of the proposal. This week, a door seemingly opened up to Patrick. One that would have allowed him to bring the casino gambling he desired to the state. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe sent a formal letter to the governor asking to open discussions about building a casino.

A comprehensive report on casinos said the state could reap USD 596.7 million in total annual government revenues if state legislators legalized three destination casinos. The report was released by the administration of Governor Deval L. Patrick. It was completed by Spectrum Gaming Group of Linwood. In the past, Spectrum has worked for casinos and governments around the world.

Boston – A new study by Spectrum Gaming Group study provides an in-depth analysis of possible economic and social impacts of the proposed expansion of gambling in Massachusetts. “I believe that this analysis will prove valuable for future policy deliberations if and when the issue of expanded gaming in Massachusetts re-emerges,” Daniel O’Connell, the state’s secretary of housing and economic development, said in a statement accompanying the report’s release.

Boston - The contentious issue of whether to expand gambling in Massachusetts could be back on the Statehouse's agenda this summer, driven by the Mashpee Wampanoag's effort to build an American Indian casino in Middleboro. The House seemingly dealt casinos a fatal blow in March, defeating Gov. Deval Patrick's plan for three commercial casinos by a lopsided vote of 108-46. But Statehouse insiders are now looking at three new fronts in the battle, which will unfold over the coming months:

Boston (WBZ) - Massachusetts is prepared to negotiate a casino compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that would clear the way for a massive full scale casino in Middleboro. "We are prepared to negotiate within the parameters we have under existing law," said Massachusetts Governor Patrick on Monday. Even though his proposal for three casinos died in the legislature, it's a good bet casino gambling is coming to the Bay State.

The state’s already tense gambling debate erupted into a political brawl yesterday, as casino proponents charged that House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is orchestrating a defeat of the governor’s casino legislation even before a legislative committee publicly airs the pros and cons next week. Furious political maneuvering spilled into the open, sparking heated exchanges through the halls of the State House.

Aides to Governor Deval Patrick fanned out across the State House yesterday, delivering copies of an 11-page, color brochure extolling the benefits of the governor’s casino plan to individual lawmakers, a move that emphasized his key arguments in advance of the scheduled release today of an independent analysis by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.