Advocates On Both Sides Debate Casinos’ Cost

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Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is a favorite destination of many Massachusetts gamblers. (graciepoo/Flickr)

Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is a favorite destination of many Massachusetts gamblers. (graciepoo/Flickr)

State lawmakers Wednesday renewed publicly what at this point seems an age old debate: gambling.

After nearly approving gambling last year, the state’s top brass reached an impasse on slot parlors. Gov. Deval Patrick opposed the idea of allowing slots at the state’s racetracks — a crucial issue for House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

But state government leaders have apparently ironed out those differences and come to a deal, which the House of Representatives began debating Wednesday.

It seems like casinos may be coming to Massachusetts soon. But what will they bring? Jobs and new sources of state revenue, say some. Others say a whole subclass of addicted gamblers, which will lead to a rise in crime, foreclosures and maybe even suicides.

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  • Anonymous

    Please address the impact the casinos will have on Boston’s arts and entertainment scene.  I don’t care if morons want to throw away their money, but I don’t want concert venues to be overtaken by ones located at casinos. 

    • Anonymous

      An extremely brief mention doesn’t equal addressing. 

  • What???

    Did that guy just offered a gambling addict an invitation to his illegal card game

  • Heaviest Cat

    HI, Thank you for taking my call, but I had to hang up sorry about that. What I wanted to mention was something that’s never mentioned in these discussions; Gambling’s impact on the environment.I’magainst casino gambling in MAss. for other reasons but the environmnet is the most important to me. There was an article in a 2009 ed. of MAss Audibon’s “Sanctuary” magazine that showed how a proposed casino/ entertainment complex wanted by the Mashpee Womapnoags
    would have taken up alot of land adjacent to a watershed in Middleborough that would have stressed an aquifer that serves five towns. Furthermore, the biodiversity in that area would be threatened,including a few possibly endangered species(they have some sort of listing), not to mention traffic problems and noise pollution.For these reasons alone, casino gambling in MA> must not happen. Footnote; if I rememeber correctly Womapnoag tribes would not be subject to environmental or zoning regulations.

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