Tucker continues fight against gambling

Tucker continues fight against gambling
Finegold also against gaming bill, Baddour for it
By Jonathan Phelps

ANDOVER — While she no longer has a direct vote on Beacon Hill, former state Sen. Susan Tucker continues to battle against expanded gambling in Massachusetts at the grassroots level.

Tucker, an Andover Democrat, who did not seek re-election to her 2nd Essex and Middlesex district seat in November, has been working with United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, a non-partisan organization opposed to "predatory gambling" in the state.

"As a former senator, I still have a microphone, and I speak for thousands of people who share the opinion that this is a rip off for Massachusetts," Tucker said in an interview with The Eagle-Tribune. "I couldn't sit on the sidelines on an issue I am passionate about. It's not my style."

State Sen. Barry Finegold, her successor, is also against the expanded gaming, while state Sen. Steven Baddour, supports it.

The Senate is currently debating the bill that would allow three resort-style casinos in different regions of the state and one slot machine license, to be bid on competitively across the state. The House passed its bill earlier this month, while the Senate is expected to continue discussion on its version of the bill on Tuesday.

A similar bill was killed last year when Gov. Deval Patrick sent an amended gambling bill back to legislators when they were already out of session.

Finegold, D-Andover, was among five senators to speak out against casinos Monday arguing the gaming facilities will cannibalize local businesses, encourage addiction, stoke crime, decrease property values and breed corruption.

Finegold said yesterday in a statement that expanded gaming won't have the economic returns as predicted.

"I worry about being a border community," he said. "If Massachusetts sanctions casinos, then it's very likely New Hampshire will do the same. I am fighting to get as much protection for border communities as possible, as we will get all of the pain and none of the gain."

Many of the states with casinos, like Nevada and New Jersey, have the worst budget problems, Tucker argued.

Tucker said the bill will also require the largest expansion of state government in years, with new bureaus and agencies through the state police and attorney general's office that will need to be added to oversee the casinos. Which means hundreds of new employees that the state can't afford, she said.

A gaming commission will be appointed to oversee and regulate gaming activity in the state.

"This is a very expensive bureaucracy this state is building that initially will be a huge drain," Tucker said.

Tucker said provisions in the bill that deal with addiction will be gone in a few years, because the industry is based on addiction. Other regulations will likely change after the casinos open, she said.

"What will happen when New Hampshire puts two casinos on the border with fewer regulations?" Tucker asked. "There will be enormous pressure to overturn any regulations that get in the way of their profit."


Material from the Statehouse News Service was used in this report.