Repeal the Casino Deal

John Ribeiro, president of Repeal the Casino Deal in Winthrop, said he is leading an effort to overturn the casino law, but Marsden steered conversation toward local concerns.


Residents urged to stay alert in casino debate
State Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston, speaks during a public forum to discuss casino gambling bill at Robert Adams Middle School in Holliston last night.

By Laura Krantz/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News


HOLLISTON — With casinos a grim reality in the state, one lawmaker last night urged hundreds of worried residents to keep on top of the ongoing saga so the region has a say in developments.

“We need to be able to act quickly, and we need to be able to act in concert,” state Rep. Carolyn Dykema told a packed auditorium at the middle school.

The Holliston Democrat and two other legislators hosted the forum to explain how area communities can protect themselves if a casino lands in their backyards.

Many in the audience wanted to talk about how they don’t want casinos, but organizers steered the discussion toward how towns can cope with them.

“We’d like to talk more about mitigation and less about just say no,” Holliston selectmen Chairman Jay Marsden said.

In November, the Legislature authorized casinos for three regions in the state and one slot parlor. A developer has plans to build a casino in Milford.

Dykema, who voted against the casino bill, said casinos are the number one issue for her constituents.

She explained that Milford and MetroWest are in the same region as Foxborough and Suffolk Downs, also potential casino sites.

“It’s not even clear at this point whether they will apply and seek to move forward,” Dykema said about a casino in Milford.

State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, who also voted against the bill, explained what control the five-member gambling commission has over casino locations.

The commission, she said, can require developers to show how they will support local businesses and require them to pay a community’s legal fees during the process.

There also has to be a signed agreement and vote from the host community to allow a casino, she said. Local casino committees can receive state money to pay for casino-related expenses.

“The city or town has the right to request money to get that mitigation,” she said.

Spilka also talked about the revenue cities and towns would get from a casino.

“We really want to make sure that a lot of the funds from casinos and the slots go to local aid,” she said, adding that the money would also support education, transportation and tourism.

The state estimates that, once the casinos are running, they will bring in about $300 million in one-time licensing fees plus ongoing revenue.

State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D-Ashland, who voted for the bill, spoke briefly about casino revenue before inviting audience questions.

John Ribeiro, president of Repeal the Casino Deal in Winthrop, said he is leading an effort to overturn the casino law, but Marsden steered conversation toward local concerns.

Barry Schneider of Holliston asked if, once the cost of a casino to a community is determined, it can later be re-evaluated.

“What happens 10 years or 15 years down the road?” he asked.

Spilka said there is state money reserved for ongoing mitigation.

“I’m very concerned that Milford is going to be seen as the path of least resistance,” said Gregg Smalley of Holliston, who worried that opposition from area residents hasn’t been heard as loud as that from Foxborough or Suffolk County residents.

Others said they are worried their property values will plummet with a casino nearby.



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