State Attorney General Martha Coakley urged Massachusetts regulators on Monday to prohibit casinos from placing liens on the homes of patrons with unpaid gambling debts, calling the practice “deeply concerning” in a letter to the state gambling commission, the Boston Globe reported yesterday. “Protecting against predatory lending and overly aggressive debt collection in the gaming industry is critical, because the odds are stacked against the patron being able to earn back the value of the loan,” wrote Coakley. Coakley cited an article in Sunday’s Globe that detailed the longstanding practice by the two large Connecticut tribal casinos, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, of placing liens on homes of residents who owe the casinos money advanced for gambling. Since the early 2000s, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have placed dozens of liens on Massachusetts properties, seeking payment, interest, and fees.
