Massachusetts towns spend nearly $500,000 in casino grants on plate readers
Regulation2 min read
Nine Massachusetts communities used part of their casino mitigation grants to buy automated licence plate readers over the past three fiscal years. The grants came from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Community Mitigation Fund; an analysis found that just 5% of $38.5m distributed over three years went to problem gambling prevention and treatment.
Massachusetts communities reportedly spent nearly $500,000 in casino mitigation grants on cameras that read vehicle number plates. Nine communities used grants to buy automated number plate readers over the past three fiscal years, most of them made by Flock Safety.
Problem gambling prevention and treatment received 5% of the $38.5 million the Gaming Commission distributed over the past three years, according to WBUR’s analysis. The grant program had added the category in 2023. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Community Mitigation Fund was established to help municipalities address the negative effects of nearby casinos. Casino tax revenue finances grants for projects tackling issues including traffic congestion, public safety and gambling addiction.
Local police departments said the cameras would help monitor traffic linked to nearby casinos. Some cameras were placed on highways and roads leading to casinos, but they capture every passing vehicle. Law enforcement agencies in other communities, and sometimes other states, can access the stored data without a warrant.
Agawam city councillor Christine Rickmon said residents were surprised that cameras had been installed without a broader public discussion. Rickmon questioned the town's justification, which included claims that parents were leaving children at Six Flags New England before visiting MGM Springfield casino. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts raised concerns about police adopting surveillance technology without sufficient public consultation.
Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Plainville, North Attleborough, Wrentham and Chelsea were also among the communities using grants for surveillance equipment. Contracts have since been suspended or cancelled by several communities. Timothy Fong, co-director of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program, said investing in gambling prevention and treatment could eventually benefit public health more in the long run than expanding surveillance infrastructure.