Escalation & Broken Promises

Expanded gambling comes with many promises.  Age limits, smoking bans, loss limits, drinking prohibitions, time limits.  And of course, there are the frequent promises that it will help our state in so many ways - promises that are quickly broken as soon as the State and or the industry needs more money.

Furthermore, expanded gambling also... expands.  The gambling industry business model needs to create new addicts.  Surrounding states will become concerned they they too are losing money across the border.

Slots will also trigger a tribal casino arms race.  The tribal issue is one very few legislators understand - or took the time to understand.  Some still think that the Supreme Court decision in Carceiri v. Salazar will prevent tribal casinos even if the state legalizes slots.  And what almost no one understands is that these won't be merely casinos - they'll be sovereign nations.  Ask people from Connecticut if they think Governor Weicker was a hero for giving slots to the Pequot tribe in exchange for an influx of new revenue.

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April 6, 2010
Did someone mention "escalation"?

From New Hampshire:
Millennium Gaming lobbyist James Demers said lawmakers here must take seriously the threat posed in Massachusetts, where legislative leaders are preparing to ram through within a week legislation that lures developers with a much lower tax rate and cheaper licensing fees than the New Hampshire bill would.

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