Unstoppable: Casino and VLT Proliferation

Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling

Unstoppable Casino and VLT Proliferation
 
The evidence?
 
No state has one casino.
 
The pattern:
 
West Virginia

    1992   Keno machines legalized; keno machines now at 305 retailer locations
    1994  Lottery Commission declares video lottery terminals (VLTs) legal, authorizing 400 at each of four existing horse and dog tracks. Required county referenda approved 3 tracks in 1994 and the fourth in 1997
    1999  Casinos approved at “historic hotels” with county referenda defeating proposals until approval at the Greenbrier in 2010
    2000-2007  Lottery Commission expands authorized VLTs at tracks to 13,900 by 2007
    2001  VLTs (9,000 max) legalized at bars and fraternal organizations (5 each at bars, 10 each at fraternals). As of 2012, 7,531 VLTs were operating at 1,542 locations
    2007  Table games legalized at tracks and historic hotels, implemented 2007-2010.

Source: Casting the Dice: The Development of Legalized Gambling Policy in West Virginia, Richard A. Brisbin, Jr. & Patrick A. Pierce, The West Virginia Public Affairs Reporter, May, 2008, http://ipa.wvu.edu/r/download/29443
 
Illinois

    1991  Casino gambling first approved on ten riverboats during active cruises
    1999  Riverboat cruise requirement lifted, allowing casinos to operate at fixed moorings. Riverboat casino tax revenues peaked in 2005.
    2009  Up to 65,000 VLTs approved at bars, restaurants, fraternal organizations, veterans groups and truck stops, with municipal and county opt out. Revenues in FY13-14.
    2011 Legislature passes (but pro-casino Governor Pat Quinn vetoes over corruption concerns) a bill which would have legalized VLTs at six existing race tracks, 16,000 additional VLTs at ten existing casinos, and five new casinos including 2 VLT-only casinos at the two Chicago airports. In his veto message, the Governor said he would support five additional casinos.

Sources:
Wagering in Illinois: 2011 Update, Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, http://cgfa.ilga.gov/upload/2011wagering_in_il.pdf .
ABC7 News, Quinn calls for new gambling bill,October 17, 2011, http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/illinois&id=8394863
 
Delaware

    1995  VLTs permitted at three race tracks
    2009  Sports betting permitted at three tracks
    2010  Table games permitted at three tracks
    2012  Delaware becomes first state to permit Internet gambling, offering online slot machine play and games such as blackjack and poker accessible through each Delaware racino’s website. The 2012 law also authorized the online sale of Delaware lottery tickets via a state run gambling website.
    2013 Keno machines authorized at an initial 70+ locations including restaurants, bars, gas stations, and convenience stores. Sports betting allowed at any Delaware Lottery retailer.

Source: Delaware State Lottery, 2011 Annual Report, http://lottery.state.de.us/pdf/2011AnnualReport.pdf
 
New York State

    New York State legalized its first casino, the Oneida tribal casino, in 1993. The state now has 20 tribal and race track casinos. A November, 2013 referendum will ask New York State voters to approve five more casinos.

Here’s how casino proliferation looks:
 
Buffalo Creek Casino
 
The Buffalo Creek Casino opened the above temporary facility in 2007. Notice the warehouse-style construction. Plans never materialized for the promised $333 million permanent facility, 22-story hotel, 2,000 VLTs, and 45 tables. Plans have been adjusted downward and now call for a $130 million facility with 800 VLTs, 16 tables, and no hotel.
 
No means to fix SB152 or any other casino legislation:
 
Governor’s Gaming Study Commission, 2010: “[A]bsent a constitutional amendment, it may not be possible to prevent proliferation once casino gaming is legalized. During a down economy, the Legislature itself would likely seek to help balance the budget through steps such as permitting additional gaming sites or expanding the types and numbers of devices used in existing operations.”
 
Bait & switch warning for Salem:
 
SB152 (284-B:12, II) – if it passes an increasingly skeptical New Hampshire House – permits a casino to operate for five years in a temporary facility … five years before Millennium Gaming would be required to deliver on its pretty pictures.
 
Be skeptical, very skeptical,
Jim Rubens
Chair

Teens Robbed of I-pod/Cell Phone

 

MANCHESTER, NH- On Monday, February 11, 2013, at about 6:30 PM, Manchester Police responded to a Clay Street address for a report of a robbery.  On arrival, they met with two 16 year old Manchester teens who reported they had been the victims of a robbery a short time earlier on Somerville Street, near Belmont Street.

 

According to the boys, they were walking in the area when they were approached by two men, one of whom demanded their belongings, indicating his companion had a gun, although no gun was observed.

 

One of the boys surrendered his I-pod Nano and Galaxy S3 cell phone and the men left.  They were last seen leaving the area as passengers in an older, dark colored 4-door sedan operated by a third individual who was possibly wearing a red sweatshirt.

 

The first suspect was described as a white male in his forties, about 6’3” tall with a slender build and dark “stubble” on his face.  He was last seen wearing a dark colored vest and a green “beanie” style hat.  The second man, alleged to have possessed a gun, was described as a clean-shaven white male in his forties with an average height and build.  He was last seen wearing a camouflage shirt and khaki pants.

 

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Manchester Police Department at 668-8711.  Anonymous tips for cash rewards can be made through Manchester Crimeline at 624-4040 or online at manchestercrimeline.org.