About the Gaming Policy Advisory Committee
The Gaming Policy Advisory Committee (GPAC) was established by M.G.L. Chapter 23K, Section 68. The Committee is comprised of the governor’s designee, who serves as chair; the Commission chair; two members of the state Senate; 2 members of the state House of Representatives; the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health, or a designee of their choosing; and eight members appointed by the Governor, three of whom are from the vicinity of each gaming establishment, and the rest of whom represent gaming licensees (3 persons), a federally recognized Indian tribe (1 person), or organized labor (1 person).
The current members of the GPAC are as follows:
- Dean Serpa, Chair*
- MGC Interim Chair Jordan Maynard
- MA Senator Barry Finegold
- MA Senator Ryan Fattman
- MA Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante
- MA Representative Marcus Vaughn
- Victor Ortiz
- Jaimie McNeil
- Kaitlyn Sprague
- Paul Picknelly
- Helen Caulton-Harris
* Dean Serpa was named Executive Director of the MGC on March 18, 2024 by a 4-0 Commission vote following a competitive search and selection process.
Members of the GPAC serve for 2-year terms. The committee is required by law to meet at least once annually to discuss gaming policy matters and is also tasked with advising the Commission on the development of its annual gaming research agenda. A record of GPAC meetings and meetings by any of the GPAC subcommittees, can be found on the MGC’s Meeting Archives page.
Subcommittees
Per state law, the GPAC oversees three related subcommittees: the Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Addiction Services, and the Subcommittee on Public Safety.
Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee
The Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee is comprised of 12 members: an MGC representative; a Department of Revenue representative; a Massachusetts Municipal Association representative; one member from each (3) host community; one member from each (3) local community mitigation advisory committee; and three members appointed by the Governor – one community mitigation professional, one host community small business owner, and one chamber of commerce member.
The subcommittee was established to develop recommendations to the Commission for the purposes of mitigating effects related to the Commonwealth’s gaming establishments. The subcommittee is required to review annually the expenditure of funds from the Community Mitigation Fund and make recommendations to the Commission relative to appropriate and necessary use of community mitigation funds.
The current members of the Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee are as follows:
- Commissioner Brad Hill
- Eric Demas
- Haskell Kennedy, Jr.
- Andrew Cade
- Sean Cronin
- Jackie Lavender Bird
- Dave Koffman
- Keith Slattery
- Jennifer Bonfiglio
The subcommittee receives input from three Local Community Mitigation Advisory Committees (LCMAC):
- LCMAC Region A – Everett
- LCMAC Region B – Springfield
- LCMAC Region C – N/A*
Each LCMAC is comprised of a representative from each host and surrounding community, each Regional Planning Agency region, and four Commission appointees from the region – one representative from a Chamber of Commerce, one representative from an economic development organization, and two human service providers. Each LCMAC annually elects one member from its body appointed by a surrounding community to represent the LCMAC in the Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee.
State law allows each LCMAC to provide information and develop recommendations for the Community Mitigation Advisory Subcommittee on any issues related to the gaming establishment located in its region. Additionally, each LCMAC is allowed by state law to present information to the Commission on any issues related to the gaming establishment located in its region.
The current members of each LCMAC are as follows:
- Region A (Everett): Gail Hackett; John Cotter; John DePriest; Keith Slattery; Ron Hogan; Rick Caraviello; Brad Rawson; Norman Abbott; Vincent Panzini; David Bancroft
- Region B (Springfield): Jennifer Bonfiglio; Michael Pise; Robert Watchilla; Jenny Cruz Rivera; Louis Kornet; Carmina Fernandes; Brian Connors; Judith Theocles; Kate Scott O’Brien; Douglas Hall; Rick Sullivan; Ellen Patashnick; John Kagan Levine; Robin Wozniak
* – Currently there are no Category 1 Casino Licensees in Region C of Massachusetts, and therefore no LCMAC for that region.
Subcommittee on Addiction Services
The role of the Subcommittee on Addiction Services is to develop recommendations for regulations to be considered by the Commission addressing issues related to addiction services resulting from the development of gaming establishments in the Commonwealth. Those regulations can include, but are not limited to, prevention and intervention strategies.
The Subcommittee on Addiction Services is comprised of five members: a representative from the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services; a representative from the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc.; a representative of the MGC; and two members appointed by the Governor with professional experience in the area of gambling addictions.
The current members of the Subcommittee on Addiction Services are as follows:
- Mark Vander Linden, Chair
- Victor Ortiz
- Rodolfo Vega
- Marleen Warner
Subcommittee on Public Safety
The role of the Subcommittee on Public Safety is to develop recommendations for regulations to be considered by the Commission addressing public safety issues resulting from the development of gaming establishments in the Commonwealth. Those regulations can include, but are not limited to, ways to mitigate the impact of gaming establishments on crimes committed in the Commonwealth.
The Subcommittee is also tasked with studying the impact of gaming establishments on all aspects of public safety in the Commonwealth.
The Subcommittee on Public Safety is comprised of seven members: an MGC member, the Secretary of Public Safety or their designee, the Attorney General or their designee, a representative from the Massachusetts District Attorney Association, the Colonel of the State Police or their designee, a representative from the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, and a representative of a public safety labor union.
The current members of the Subcommittee on Public Safety are as follows:
- Commissioner Eileen O’Brien, Chair
- Elaine Driscoll
- Kathleen Gelio
- Anthony Gulluni
- Brian Connors
- Thomas Fowler
- Thomas Rodger