BOSTON – Massachusetts lottery officials asked state lawmakers earlier this week to pass legislation that would allow the agency to experiment with online gambling, State House News Service reports.

"We are not proposing to offer these games to our players with an actual cash transaction, nor are we seeking any appropriation to fund such operations," said Lottery Assistant Executive Director Beth Bresnahan to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. "Rather, in the interests of preserving and protecting the Lottery, we simply want to ensure that we have a solid understanding of the technology and logistics of online gaming should this market space become more competitive. Existing law does not permit us to conduct such experimentation."

Bresnahan said the Lottery’s main goal would be to test online gambling with an eye toward adding gambling in the future. The Lottery expects a drop in revenues when casinos open in the state.

Proponents of online gambling maintain it could provide new revenue for cities and towns. Opponents say online gambling could hurt lottery ticket retailers.

"Why try to fix something that isn't broken?" said Joseph Green, senior division manager of Tedeschi Food Shops, who opposes the bill. He said the loss of revenue from lottery players could cost jobs and said the bill could contribute to problem gambling.