Slot Machines to Rescue Bay State

There is no disagreement.  Gambling advocates and its opponents alike are clear to the realization that Massachusetts’ ailing state treasury could be overflowing with revenue from slot machines. 

Okaying thousands of slot machines and a huge step in the direction of expanding gambling in the state would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in state taxes and collection.  However, this agreement only creates a huge debate. 

According to the close observations of State House watchers, this could be the turning year for Massachusetts’ racetrack owners.  Track owners have fought Beacon Hill for years for the permission to install 8,000 slot machines for their horse and dog venues.  For the first time, the proposal has an incredibly good chance of being passed.  Industry experts believe that the economy will benefit considerably from a full-fledged casino.

Gambling opponents believe that the financial benefits of casino activity always come at a huge price.  Cary Theil is a board member of the National Coalition Against Expanding Gambling.  His opinion is that “There will be a very real cost, both a financial cost and personal cost associated with (slot machines) and lawmakers have an obligation to look at that.”  The NCAEG has battled for years to put an end to greyhound racing.

Opponents favor pointing to a 1990’s federal study that indicated that issues of problem gambling doubled within 50 miles of the opening of a new major gambling venue with slot machines.  Experts do not deny the potential of such a statistical growth, but acknowledge the difficulty of projecting definite numbers. 

Kathleen Scanlan, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Compulsive Gambling refuses to give any estimates as to how much legalized slots will affect cases of problem gambling.  Current estimates show that some 250,000 people in Massachusetts already suffer gambling problems.

Scanlan desires to see part of the tax revenue collected from the new slot machines to be dedicated toward programs that center on prevention and treatment.

Pro-gambling Senator Michael Morrissey (D) of Quincy believes the state of Massachusetts is already suffering the costs of expanded gambling without collecting the benefits.  Morrissey is convinced that the two mega casinos opened in Connecticut last year has already generated any new cases of problem gambling that Massachusetts may see.

Morrissey says Massachusetts stands to collect annual tax revenues of $300 million dollars each year by legalizing thousands of slot machines.  A portion of that revenue would even aid in the treatment of problem gamblers.

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