Officially, Jordan Maynard has been named Massachusetts's game chair.

Officially, Jordan Maynard has been named Massachusetts's game chair.

 On Monday, October 28, the governor of Massachusetts made Jordan Maynard the official chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).
 head shot to Jordan Maynard
 Maynard has been acting as chair in the meantime since Cathy Judd-Stein, who used to be the head of the MGC, left in March.  A press statement says that Governor Maura Healy also chose Paul Brodeur, who used to be mayor of Melrose, to be the fifth commissioner of the agency.  The MGC had been without a commissioner since Judd-Stein quit.

 "He has shown that he can bring people together, knows a lot about the agency, and wants to do what's best for the people of Massachusetts," Healy said in a news release.

 Maynard was first hired by the MGC in August 2022. He was on the MGC when it made rules and started allowing people to bet on sports online and in person in 2023.  It was made legal to bet in August 2022 by the state's general assembly.

 "I want to congratulate Jordan Maynard on being named chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission by Governor Healey," Judd-Stein wrote in an email to iGB.  "I liked all the things Jordan did to help the commission do its work while I was chair."  With the great MGC team and now the commission's full bench, which was strengthened today when the governor appointed Mayor Brodeur, the MGC is ready to keep regulating the Commonwealth's gaming industry in a fair and strict way, based on honesty and a dedication to protecting consumers.

 Like his boss, Maynard cares a lot about protecting consumers.  He is in charge of a new Youth Sports Betting Safety Initiative that is being run with help from the state attorney general's office, the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, and other groups.  The people working on the project are making a lesson plan to teach people younger than 21 about the bad things that can happen when they gamble.

 Maynard told iGB in the past, "We have all agreed that this is a problem."  "What should we do about this?"  People have asked us to work on two things: the curriculum and our social presence.  We want to reach young people.  The question is how to get the word out.

 This year, Maynard was honoured more than once.
 The project shows how the MGC is a leader in the US when it comes to gambling laws and teaching.  The agency set some of the strictest rules in the country for promoting and protecting consumers. These rules apply to both gambling in casinos and betting on sports.  The MGC is in charge of seven online gambling sites and three land-based casinos in the state.  Massachusetts does not allow online casinos.

 In the press release, Maynard said, "I have always been impressed with the level of honesty and leadership shown by my fellow commissioners and staff at the MGC."  "I am sure that Mayor Brodeur will be a great addition to the MGC team."

 It's also important to Maynard that land-based casinos are safe.  He has worked with casino managers to come up with the safest and healthiest ways to take care of customers.

 Maynard was named one of the Innovation Group's "40 under 40" class of 2025 and one of the US Gaming Hub's Game Masters Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the US Gaming Industry this year.

 Maynard was the governor's chief secretary before he joined the commission.

 Brodeur led the charge to raise the minimum wage.
 Brodeur was a Massachusetts state lawmaker for eight years, from 2011 to 2019, before becoming mayor of Melrose.  He worked out a deal in the general assembly to raise the minimum bet to $15. This deal is known as the "Grand Bargain."  Besides that, he set up a scheme for everyone to get paid family and medical leave.  The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was also passed with his help.

 Healy said in the release, "Mayor Paul Brodeur is a trusted leader in our state who has a history of bringing people together to get things done on our most important problems. For example, he brought together elected officials, the business community, labour, and advocates to negotiate the Grand Bargain, which strengthened our economy and helped Massachusetts workers, families, and businesses alike."