The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has resolved a lawsuit filed by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) after implementing a long-standing legal requirement to collect anonymized casino player data and provide it to qualified researchers.
PHAI announced on July 23 that it had agreed to dismiss the case after the commission fulfilled obligations under Section 97 of the state’s Expanded Gaming Act. The MGC has also launched an online application process allowing approved researchers to request anonymized behavioral data from Massachusetts’ commercial casino operators.
The legal dispute centered on the commission’s failure to carry out provisions requiring casino licensees to collect player-tracking information and make anonymized versions available for research into gambling behavior.
Commission Launches Data Access Program
PHAI filed the lawsuit in 2024, arguing that the commission had not complied with Section 97 despite casinos operating in the state for years.
According to the complaint, the MGC did not begin collecting player data after the first commercial casino opened in 2015. The requirement also remained unfulfilled after all three commercial casinos became operational in 2019.
The law requires the regulator to work with a nonprofit organization that removes personally identifiable information before researchers receive access. Researchers can study gambling behavior, including gambling addiction, while providing reports that may help shape future regulation.
Following the lawsuit, the commission contracted with the University of Massachusetts in 2025 to store and anonymize the information before completing the process earlier this month.
PHAI Litigation Director Andrew Rainer said: “After PHAI filed suit against the Commission in July 2024, the Commission finally took the steps needed to collect player data from its casino licensees, to anonymize and store the data, and to make the data available to researchers.”
The application materials show researchers can request data covering player demographics, loyalty program participation, session times, wager amounts, average bets, win and loss records, jackpot activity and other behavioral metrics.
PHAI attorney Jacob Wolk added: “Mission accomplished! We are pleased to join with the Commission today in asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit, because it has achieved its entire purpose.”
Focus Shifts to Sports Betting
Although the lawsuit focused on casino gaming, PHAI said similar reporting requirements should apply to Massachusetts sportsbooks.
Executive Director Mark Gottlieb said the organization plans to work with lawmakers on legislation requiring sportsbooks to provide anonymized customer data for research. He pointed to Sen. John Keenan’s Bettor Health Act, which includes expanded data collection, a ban on college proposition bets, affordability assessments and limits on certain sportsbook marketing practices.
Additional Legal Cases Continue
The MGC case is one of several gambling-related lawsuits pursued by PHAI.
The organization continues litigation against DraftKings over sportsbook promotions after a judge denied most of the company’s summary judgment motion earlier this year.
PHAI has also filed lawsuits against Caesars Online Casino and Harrah’s Philadelphia over a “$2,500 deposit match” promotion, and against DraftKings, FanDuel, Genius Sports and the NFL, alleging their live microbetting products encourage addictive gambling behavior. Last week, those defendants asked the court to dismiss the Pennsylvania action.
Source:
“Massachusetts Gaming Commission Resolves PHAI Lawsuit, Begins Sharing Casino Player Data With Researchers”, gamblinginsider.com, July 24, 2026
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