As the debate about casino and online gambling rages on in Massachusetts, the under-the-radar race to succeed Martha Coakley as Attorney General has yielded an interesting perspective on the matter. Candidate Warren Tolman, it turns out, owns a major stake in online gaming site Fast Strike Games, which bills itself as “The Future of Gaming.”
According to a Boston Globe report, Tolman owns a 40 percent equity share of Fast Strike and his name and photo, which at one time appeared on the site, have since been removed.
It seems as though Tolman’s place with Fast Strike poses a major conflict of interest as he has voiced opposition to repeal Massachusetts’ gambling laws and has vowed to enforce what the people have voted for.
Still, as he told the Boston Herald earlier in April, he’s only abiding by the will of Bay State voters. If it were up to him, gambling in the commonwealth would not come into fruition.
“It’s not a decision that I would make for my own hometown of Watertown, but it’s one that a number of communities have made,” he told the Herald.
It’s not like he’s complaining, though. The Globe‘s report notes that while he has yet to line his pockets from Fast Strike – the company hasn’t generated revenue – it stands to make $127 million with 112 employees by 2018.
That’s assuming he severs ties with the company should he be elected, as a Tolman advisor told the Globe he would.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Stephen Crosby can’t wait for online gaming to come to Massachusetts. And while Greater Boston continues to consider where they want a casino to set up shop, Crosby thinks the time is opportune for online gaming as well.
“The time is now, it’s upon us,” Crosby told the Herald back in March. “We can’t wait any longer, even though we’re still in the middle of (casino) licensing.”
Tolman served as a member of the Massachusetts state Senate from 1995 to 1999. Prior to that, he served in the state’s House of Representatives from 1991 to 1994. In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for governor.
Image via Warren Tolman Facebook
