As Dan Kennedy mentioned below, Gov. Patrick seems more inclined to hand the casino issue off to the legislature, where it faces a dubious future. Reports Peter Kenney of Cape Cod Today:
Gov. Deval Patrick is unlikely to endorse casino gambling in the state and will defer to the Legislature, according to sources at the State House directly involved in the issue. Patrick is also expected to approve installation of slot machines at the state's four existing race tracks, according to the sources.
As we know, Sal DiMasi has been against casinos, to his great credit — although now he too seems to be wobbling. How's that for principled leadership, folks?
I don't the idea of having more slots at the tracks, except that it's certainly less of a disruptive, landscape-changing development than a casino. (Maybe that was the idea all along — threaten a casino, settle for slots? I doubt it, but that may be the result.)
I don’t think it works that way. As I understand it, once slots are allowed anywhere in the state, you’re pretty much talking a full-blown Indian tribe casino, whether in Middleborough or somewhere else. Because of the way federal law works on this issue, the state can control whether it allows “Class III gaming” (i.e., slots and table games) in the state at all, but once it lets anyone have class III gaming, the tribes get it too, which most likely means big casinos. (Oversimplified, but I think basically right — others who know more should feel free to clarify.)
The Governor could easily lose a year on a legislative fight for gambling — and in the end, accomplish little of lasting worth. Casinos are a mistake. They create poverty and addiction. I grew up a hour away from Atlantic City, and I am familiar with the “Cash for Your Gold” signs outside pawnshops. We don't need that.
They need the money too badly. I'm only surprised it hasn't happened before now.
This was part of what Patrick said from the beginning. Patrick stated that he would rather have the question posed with the legislature. Here's the discussion with the WBZ4 report posted in July. It stated that his beliefs were that it should be an across the board passage and not just the Governor since it's tribal. There are impacts for slots and other casino development concers.
I'm not sure if “Gov. Patrick seems more inclined to hand the casino issue off to the legislature” but one way or the other we are going to have casinos in Massachusetts. To not put up a casino in MA while they are popping up all around us is foolish. Right now 40 out of 50 states have casino gambling.
http://www.casinonews.org/
And don't get me started about Online Gambling.
And with our MA state lottery, we are foolish do draw a line in the sand and say Massachusetts is against casino gambling because it is wrong. DAH
About this pic => http://www.masslottery.com/news/index.html
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The number of states that have casinos is not relevant (I’ll take your word for 40 out of 50, even though I could find no such statistic on the site you referenced). The location of those casinos is.
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Massachusetts is in the nearby vicinity of six states: Maine (no casinos), New Hampshire (no casinos), Vermont (no casinos), Rhode Island (no casinos), Connecticut (two casinos on tribal lands, significantly far enough away that it takes an effort to get there), and New York (on tribal land, mostly in the western part of the state). They are not “popping up all around us”. They exist in Connecticut, and have existed there for ten years. Why imply urgency?
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It is not fait accompli that Massachusetts will have a casino, and trying to frame the debate as such adds nothing to it.
First my Link:Click this link http://www.casinonew… (same as the above)then on the left hand side of the page click “Article Archive”Title of the article is “Cities Gamble on Casinos for Tax revenues” 8/14/20073rd paragraph “Today, 40 states have casino gambling, and some holdouts may join soon.” Second and most important: You are correct ONLY CT has an official “Casino” The rest of New England Does not. I read the stat (40 out 50 states etc) and got carried away. My post was misleading and I’m sorry.
The above post should read . . . .
First my Link:
Click this link http://www.casinonew… (same as the above) then on the left hand side of the page click “Article Archive” Title of the article is “Cities Gamble on Casinos for Tax revenues” 8/14/2007
3rd paragraph
“Today, 40 states have casino gambling, and some holdouts may join soon.”
Second and most important:
You are correct ONLY CT has an official “Casino” The rest of New England Does not. I read the stat (40 out 50 states etc) and got carried away. My post was misleading, I was wrong and I’m sorry.
schoolzombie87
We worked to elect this man to lead. Not to defer to the legislature and its devices.
We elected the Governor because he wasn't beholden to the culture of Beacon Hill.
I hope he takes the bold step of standing against monied interests if thats what the facts dictate.
Why oh why would we leave this up to the folks that never get enough?
As a candidate, Mr. Patrick had no position on casinos, and as Governor.