Senate Rejects Protection in Favor of Industry

In spite of Senator "Lap Dog" Rosenberg's pretense that he was going to 'do it right,' and avoid the problems Slot Gambling has caused elsewhere, it's clear that it's simply hollow rhetoric and genuflecting to the wealthy investors and lobbyists who prowl the halls.

Let's be honest - something Beacon Hill seems incapable of these days.

We all know that regardless of the safeguards put into place to protect and defend consumers, the false job creation figures will never materialize because they were overstated.

The false revenue projections won't materialize because they are conspicuously overstated.

When they fail to materialize, the Gambling Investors will return, whine and cry that they can't make enough money and simply MUST expand. They'll tell you it's the Smoking Ban, not enough slot machines, they'll weasel out of the tax rate.

They'll erode ANY restrictions, in spite of the pretense by Senator "Stan, the Man" Rosenberg.

And when revenues fail to materialize, Beacon Hill will be forced to increase the numbers of venues to fill an ever increasing budget gap because for every $1 in tax revenue provided by the Gambling Industry, the taxpayer cost is at least $3.

Even Stan, the Man will acknowledge OFF THE RECORD that the bill is grossly flawed, the revenue and jobs will never materialize.

Maybe it's time to develop a conscience, Senator.

Rejected
CLERK 72

Prohibition on Casinos Extending Credit

Mr. O’Leary moves to amend the bill (S2495) by striking Section 21 and inserting the following new section: -

“Section 21

a. No gaming licensee, establishment, nor any person acting on behalf of a licensee or establishment shall: (i) be permitted to issue credit to a patron of a gaming establishment; (ii) cash any check, make any loan or otherwise provide or allow to a person any credit or advance of anything of value, or which represents value, to enable a person to place a wager; or (iii) release or discharge debt, either in whole or in part, or make a loan which represents any losses incurred by a player in gaming activity, without maintaining a written record of the release or discharge under the rules of the commission. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an establishment from accepting credit cards for non-gaming related purchases.

b. The commission shall establish by regulation, under section 5, procedures and standards for approving promotional gaming credits; provided, that, no such credit shall be reported as a promotional gaming credit by an operator of a gaming establishment unless the operation can establish that the credit was issued by the gaming establishment and received from a patron as a wager at a game in the gaming establishment; provided, further, that such promotional gaming credit shall not be taxable for purposes of determining gross income

c. Debt collections under this section and debt collection regulations promulgated under section 5 shall be limited to key gaming employees or attorneys acting directly on behalf of gamin licensees; provided further that a key gaming employee shall be prohibited from making any such collections if the key gaming employee serves as a junket representative for the gaming establishment.”