Casino Gambling Causes Massachusetts to Consider Crime Measure

The Attorney General of Massachusetts is asking lawmakers to update the criminal code, including adding new statutes against money laundering and identity theft, before casino gambling is approved and gaming starts.

The likelihood that the state will adopt expanded casino gambling this fall has led Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley to propose legislation to proactively avoid crimes associated with gaming. The new bill would establish state standards in areas Coakley says they are weak, including money laundering, wiretapping, and organized crime.

Coakley has asked the legislature to be sure and fund the necessary increases in manpower to regulate and oversee any gaming industry that is established. The AG says that states that permit casino gambling largely have laws in these areas, while Massachusetts is deficient.

Money laundering, which is defined as to knowingly engage in a financial transaction derived from a criminal act, carries a six-year sentence under the new proposal. There are also provisions to punish such crimes as identity theft.

"Those who profit, though who never dirty their hands in the enterprise, should know that they will now be investigated and prosecuted," Coakley stated.

Massachusetts is examining a variety of methods to introduce gaming to the state. Proposals ranging from slot machines placed at established race tracks to stand-alone casinos are being debated, but lawmakers have assured the public that some form of gambling will be passed during the next session.