Casino testing technology to curb gambling addiction

By Associated Press

BOSTON — A first-in-the nation system allowing casino patrons to set limits on their betting is expected to be unveiled next month in Massachusetts.

The system is meant to curb gambling addiction. It’s being piloted at Plainridge Park, a slots parlor in Plainville that’s the state’s first casino. If successful, the system would be imposed statewide, including in major resorts being planned by Wynn and MGM.

No U.S. jurisdiction has yet imposed such a system, according to regulators. Only a handful of casinos in Singapore, Norway, Sweden, Canada and elsewhere have so called “play management” systems in place.

Massachusetts’ system, which is called “Play My Way,” would allow slot machine players to electronically set a budget before gambling and receive automatic notifications tracking their spending.