Massachusetts is set to launch a first-in-the-nation system aimed at preventing gambling addiction by allowing slot players to limit their bets.
The "Play My Way" feature is being piloted this week at Plainridge Park, the slots parlor and harness racing track in Plainville. If successful, it may be imposed at larger casinos being built by Wynn and MGM.
The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling is helping develop and administer the feature it hopes will prevent casual players from going down the path of gambling addiction.
The system is voluntary and is only being offered initially to players enrolled with the casino's reward card program.
The rollout comes after months of planning and some pushback from the gambling industry, which argued that such bet limiting systems haven't proved effective elsewhere.
