The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has initiated an audit into gambling among the state’s Asian communities to shed light on whether casino marketing and outreach strategies cross into predatory practices. A Boston Globe investigation found that New England casinos have actively targeted Asian communities through shuttle buses, postcards, ads in Asian-language newspapers, billboards, and booths at cultural festivals.
Asian Americans are disproportionately represented among Massachusetts casino patrons. Though they make up just 8.3 per cent of the state’s population, they account for nearly 25 per cent of gamblers at Encore Boston Harbour. In some nearby communities, that share rises above 30 per cent, according to various reports.
Major operators and community impact
The state’s casino regulation has progressed from colonial-era bans to modern oversight under the MGC. It was established in 2012 after the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011. The state then legalised casinos but with caution and opened Plainridge Park in 2015, MGM Springfield in 2018, and Encore Boston Harbour in 2019. Three years later, sports betting was eventually added.
Since its legalisation, casinos have generated $2.4 billion in tax revenue and assessments. Encore Boston Harbour, in particular, ranked as the third most lucrative U.S. casino outside Nevada and Mississippi in 2024, driven in part by its Asian customer base.
Operators including Encore Boston Harbour, Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods Resort Casino, and Bally’s Twin River have directed promotions toward Asian residents. Encore’s shuttle buses, for example, make 52 daily stops near Boston’s Chinatown gateway, while Bally’s Twin River buses pass through Chinatown and other neighbourhoods with high Asian populations.
Calls for equity audit date back to 2021
Concerns about casino marketing are not new. A commission-funded report in 2021 had already recommended an equity audit to examine these practices. Ben Hires, CEO of the Boston Chinatown Neighbourhood Centre, told the Globe that while the audit is overdue, “better late than never.” He emphasised that the findings should be treated as evidence, not opinion.
The audit also seeks to clarify where regulators should draw the line between standard casino promotion and marketing that disproportionately targets a specific community. However, the commission’s jurisdiction does not extend to operators licenced in other states, nor does it cover illegal gambling in Boston’s Chinatown and other Asian communities.
Advertising rules for operators
Massachusetts takes a more cautious approach to casino regulation than states like Nevada and New Jersey, since they have more mature systems and broader allowances for casinos and online gaming. In addition, the state legalised casinos only in 2011 and sports betting in 2022, making sure that they restrict advertising and outreach. Additionally, state law dictates that operators are banned from promoting false or misleading information, marketing to vulnerable sectors like minors, or targeting individuals who have self-excluded from gambling.
Debt lawsuits highlight urgency
The Globe also reported that more than 80 per cent of people sued by Encore since its 2019 opening over gambling debts are of Asian descent, underscoring the urgency of the commission’s review. Casinos have extended loans exceeding six figures to some Asian gamblers, then pursued aggressive collection tactics.
Systemic vulnerabilities compound the issue. Economic insecurity, language barriers, and social isolation make Asian immigrants more susceptible to gambling addiction, according to EatWatchBet.
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