Gaming panel hears an earful

By JIM DALY ~ The Patriot Ledger - 12-4-02

ALL RIVER - A commission studying the possibility of allowing casinos in Massachusetts heard an earful from gambling opponents at its first public hearing last night.

Clergymen warned of moral decay. Businessmen predicted devastation to small businesses. A prosecutor said casinos would increase crime.

But backers of legalized gambling said casinos would bring thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue to the state.

Between 150 and 200 people attended last night’s 4 1/2-hour hearing at Bristol Community College, the first of four scheduled during the next two weeks. At least 30 of the 40 speakers opposed letting casinos in.

Carol Tchernev, chairwoman of the Plymouth-based Citizens Against Gambling, said Connecticut is having trouble limiting casinos to the two already open.

“Once you let in one casino, you open the floodgates,” she said.

Tchernev said casinos increase traffic and put a strain on host communities.

She predicted a casino in Southeastern Massachusetts would harm Plymouth and Cape Cod tourism.

Beverly Wright of the Wampanoag American Indian Tribe of Gay Head on Martha’s Vineyard, told the commission that the her people want to build a casino in Southeastern Massachusetts. She said the casino would be located in a rural area, not in Fall River or New Bedford.

Under questioning from commission members, Wright said her tribe would have the right to build a casino if the Legislature approves slot machines at the state’s four race tracks.

Wright said the Wampanoag Tribe has approximately 1,000 members and wants to operate a casino to pay for its younger members’ education and its older members’ health benefits.

She said the tribe would negotiate with the state for the right to operate a casino and pay about the same percentage of revenue as the Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun casinos pay to Connecticut.

Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun paid Connecticut about $370 million - based on 25 percent of their slot machine revenues - last year.

Wright said the tribe would put whatever Southeastern Massachusetts land it acquires in a federal trust before a casino were built on the site.

Placing the land in trust would allow the casino to avoid federal, state and local taxes. Whatever money the tribe pays Massachusetts would depend on the deal the Legislature strikes with it.

Wright estimated it would take 6 to 8 months for the land to be placed in trust and 10 to 12 months for a casino to be built.

Wright said the casino would eventually create 9,000 full-time jobs and 3,800 indirect jobs. She said it would generate $905 million in its first year of operation.

William Whitty, president of the Fall River City Council, told the commission that he supports casino gambling because it would help the state pay its bills. He said casinos would create construction jobs and permanent jobs.

Rep. Philip Travis, D-Rehoboth, said it would be foolish not to legalize slot machines at the race tracks and allow casino gambling. He said Rhode Island and Maine could beat Massachusetts to the punch. (Rhode Island already allows video gambling at two locations, but is considering legalizing casinos.)

Many people speaking out against casinos said expanding gambling would be harmful those who can least afford it.

“Gambling victimizes the poor and the poor elderly,” Monsignor George Coleman of the Fall River Diocese said.

Southeastern Massachusetts would be poorly served by casinos because social costs, such as young people gambling, would outweigh the benefits, Monsignor Coleman said.

Bruce Rex, who owns a small business in Fairhaven, said a casino would harm local businesses. He said studies have shown that casinos devastated small businesses when introduced in Atlantic City.

“Many area restaurants will be just wiped out or eliminated,” he predicted.

Robert Powers, an assistant district attorney in Bristol County, said casinos would increase the number of criminal cases handled by his office by more than 100,000.

“Once you get that many people into a community, crime is going to go up,” he said.

Bill Golden, a former gambling addict from Fall River who counsels compulsive gamblers, said legalizing casinos would just create more problems.

“I see the devastation. I’ve seen the suicides,” Golden said. “It is a sickness.”

Legislators facing a $1.5 to $2 billion budget shortfall next year have recently warmed to the idea of legalizing casino gambling.

The 19-member gaming commission, named by acting Gov. Jane Swift to study the expansion of gambling in Massachusetts, is expected to issue a report by the end of the month.

The other hearings will be held in North Andover, Springfield and Boston.

“It is our job to study the effects of gaming and to solicit a wide range of opinion,” said Essex County District Attorney Kevin Burke, the commission’s chairman.

Jim Daly may be reached at jdaly@ledger.com.

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