Senator Eldridge Explains Opposition

Jamie Eldridge talks opposition to casino bill at Littleton Rotary Club
By Jim Barisano
Wicked Local Littleton


Littleton — State Sen. Jamie Eldridge was a recent guest of the Littleton Rotary Club where he spoke about the casino gambling bill that is currently moving through the state legislature. Eldridge has been a staunch opponent of bringing casinos and slot parlors to Massachusetts. He voted against the gambling bill, which passed in the Senate by a 24 to 14 vote.

“I strongly believe expanding gambling in Massachusetts will harm our local small businesses and our communities, and that’s why I voted no. We need revenues and jobs here in Massachusetts, but casinos aren’t the answer. There are better ways, less destructive ways, to solve our fiscal problems and make the Commonwealth a better place to live. When consumers spend more on casinos and less locally on clothing, sporting events, electronics, meals out or tickets to a show, small businesses suffer and jobs are cut,” Eldridge said. “People only have so much discretionary income. I am deeply concerned about the effect that sucking billions of dollars out of the local economy, and sending it out-of-state to wealthy casino developers, will have on our communities.”

During the debate prior to the vote, Eldridge proposed numerous amendments aimed at strengthening consumer protections. Successful amendments filed by Eldridge include:

·Banning campaign donations by casino executives to any municipal official with direct or indirect oversight of casino negotiations

·A one-year ban on legislators working in the casino industry after leaving office

·A requirement that casinos send monthly loss statements to customers

·A provision to allow community mitigation funding to go to regional, as well as municipal, entities.

Eldridge also proposed a number of additional amendments to increase protections for consumers and local communities, which were not passed. These amendments included:

·Eliminating cashless wagering systems at casinos, which he calls a predatory practice that encourages problem gambling

·Requiring casinos to provide healthcare for their workers

·Adding accountability measures to ensure casinos actually create the number of jobs they’ve promised to create.

Eldridge has received strong support from constituents who are also opposed to expanded gambling in the commonwealth.

“We fought hard, and did our best to make the case that bringing casinos to Massachusetts would do more harm than good. Given what a huge impact this will have on our state for decades to come, it was an uphill battle worth fighting,” Eldridge said.

The bill now moves to a conference committee to resolve differences between the state House and Senate. It is anticipated that Gov. Deval Patrick will sign the bill into law by the end of the year. During the question-and-answer session that followed Eldridge’s presentation to the Rotary, he explained that if the casino bill is finally approved, it will be four to five years before a casino actually opens for business in Massachusetts.