When New York State legalized OTB, the betting parlors were placed in poor neighborhoods.
Promises of riches sucked the lifeblood out of communities, leaving devastation behind.
Will they ever learn?
Casinos ‘in every borough’
Mayor Bloomberg wants to put Vegas-style casinos all over the city — even in suburban Staten Island — if the state decides to authorize them.
“If you’re going to have it, I think you should have it in the city. And I think we should have it every place. Why should the people of Staten Island not have a casino?” he asked on his weekly WOR radio show.
“Brooklyn? Great place for it at Coney Island.”
The mayor went so far as to endorse a return to the days when slot machines could be found in shops all over town.
“Why not?” he asked. “If it were up to me, I guess I would say no. But we’re going to have gambling.”
The racino that opened last October at Aqueduct Racetrack, in Queens, is already taking in more money through its slots than any casino in the country. Last month, a record $1.13 billion was wagered.
But Staten Island Borough President Jim Molinaro isn’t ready to roll the dice.
“From Las Vegas to Atlantic City, they bring problems. We don’t need that here,” Molinaro said.
The No. 1 cheerleader for a city casino right now is Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who lobbies for one at Coney Island practically every chance he gets.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment