Essex man writes book warning of effects casinos have on Connecticut
ESSEX -- At a time when neighboring states are rushing to legalize gambling in an attempt to cash-in on their share of gaming revenues in the region, Robert Steele has written a novel warning of the disastrous effects casinos have had on Connecticut.
“The Curse – Big-Time Gambling’s Seduction of a Small New England Town” is the fictional story of a family with deep roots to the earliest settlers in the area who see their traditional New England way of life slip away before their eyes because of the construction of two Indian casinos.
Steele was compelled to write this novel — which is part history book and includes an extensive bibliography — after seeing first-hand the effects Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos had on his beloved state.
The author lived in Ledyard for 21 years, leaving the area in 1998 after the two casinos were completed. The son of Connecticut radio legend Bob Steele also represented Eastern Connecticut, including Middletown, for two terms in the U.S. Congress.
“I watched the political maneuvering. I watched the building of the casinos and the impact on the region,” Steele said.
Steele got the idea for the book about what he calls a fascinating story when he lived in Ledyard and watched the political battles unfold.
“I was fascinated by the history of the Pequots and the Mohegans and how they were mortal enemies,” Steele said. “They virtually disappeared and then reemerged to build two of the worlds biggest casinos.”
After Foxwoods, opened by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in 1992, and Mohegan Sun, opened by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut in 1996, the state started to benefit from deals made with the Indians for a portion of the slot machine revenue. Since peaking five years ago, however, slot revenue has steadily declined, because of the recession and increased competition mostly from gambling sites at the Aqueduct and Yonkers, N.Y., race tracks, while social costs such as gambling addiction, divorce, and embezzlements have increased. Between 1992 and 2007, embezzlements alone rose 400 percent in Connecticut, or 10 times the national average, according to the author’s research.
“We made this huge bet on casino gambling in Southeastern Connecticut,” Steel said, and he’s afraid we’re coming up snake eyes.
“Meanwhile, the state and the casinos are spending tens of millions of dollars to encourage you to gamble in ads where everyone in winning and having a good time,” Steele said. Continued...
And the author fears that it is only going to get worse. Recently, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., proposed the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Poker Consumer Protection Act which would legalize poker on the internet, including on mainstream websites like Facebook.
“If internet gambling happens, you won’t need to leave your living room, your dorm room, to place a bet,” Steele said. “Then they’ll have everything they want.”
Steele worked on the book on and off for 10 years, finishing it last summer.
The process was possibly more difficult because of the style Steele chose, blending fact and fiction.
“I wanted to tell the whole story, but in a way that hadn’t been done before. I wanted to write a novel what would appeal to a different audience than just a book of non-fiction,” Steele said, adding, “But weaving imagination and fact is infinitely more difficult.”
“It’s been very rewarding seeing it in print, especially when I think of all the time I put into it,” Steele said.
Steele, who lives in Essex with his wife, is now traveling to 37 libraries and historical societies throughout New England to discuss the book. He will be at the Meriden Public Library on Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m. and at the Russell Library in Middletown on Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m.
“This book is about where we are,” Steele said. “We have to talk about where we’re going.”
“The Curse – Big-Time Gambling’s Seduction of a Small New England Town” is available in soft-cover from Amazon and RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison and as an eBook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/01/24/news/doc51019bdd997c1353225079.txt?viewmode=fullstory
“If internet gambling happens, you won’t need to leave your living room, your dorm room, to place a bet,” Steele said. “Then they’ll have everything they want.”
Steele worked on the book on and off for 10 years, finishing it last summer.
The process was possibly more difficult because of the style Steele chose, blending fact and fiction.
“I wanted to tell the whole story, but in a way that hadn’t been done before. I wanted to write a novel what would appeal to a different audience than just a book of non-fiction,” Steele said, adding, “But weaving imagination and fact is infinitely more difficult.”
“It’s been very rewarding seeing it in print, especially when I think of all the time I put into it,” Steele said.
Steele, who lives in Essex with his wife, is now traveling to 37 libraries and historical societies throughout New England to discuss the book. He will be at the Meriden Public Library on Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m. and at the Russell Library in Middletown on Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m.
“This book is about where we are,” Steele said. “We have to talk about where we’re going.”
“The Curse – Big-Time Gambling’s Seduction of a Small New England Town” is available in soft-cover from Amazon and RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison and as an eBook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/01/24/news/doc51019bdd997c1353225079.txt?viewmode=fullstory
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