Letter: Say no to casino

Letter: Say no to casino

For the Monitor

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

At an April 10 press conference announcing the formation of Casino-Free New Hampshire, several distinguished New Hampshire residents explained why it would be a grave mistake to invite casino gambling into our state.

First, there is the uncertain revenue, given the competitive gambling establishments planned by Massachusetts and Maine. Then there are the costs, both in lost dollars and in human pain, associated with gambling addiction, as well as the pressure to build additional casinos. Inevitably, a casino complete with restaurants and entertainment will drain business away from local establishments which enliven and enrich communities throughout our state. Many New Hampshire businesses are already working hard to survive and prosper in a challenging economy.

 

Alex Ray, owner of Concord’s Common Man restaurant and a well-respected entrepreneur, crystallized the situation when he asked, “When you think of the state of Connecticut, what do you think of?” Instead of picturesque shoreline towns such Old Saybrook where my parents lived, most people today think of Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun casinos. Is this what we want?

 

When we moved to New Hampshire from Connecticut in 1978, we moved to a state known far and wide as a marvelous tourist destination with rich natural beauty. In 2011 tourists spent $4.2 billion in New Hampshire. Rather than opening the door to a casino and its societal costs and uncertain revenue, why not support our own tourism industry which relies on the protection of the natural beauty of our state and helps to make New Hampshire one of the healthiest and safest states in which to live?

 

We have so much more to lose than to gain by inviting casino gambling to forever change the nature of our state.

 

JANET WARD

Contoocook

 

http://www.concordmonitor.com/opinion/6222984-95/letter-say-no-to-casino

 

Casino Bill May Spell Out Second Location

House subcommittees are rifling through more than a dozen amendments today, including a couple that call for multiple casinos in NH.

• ByDan Tuohy

• May 14, 2013

State lawmakers today are rifling through more than a dozen amendments to the bill to legalize casino gambling in New Hampshire, including at least two proposed changes that would allow for more than one "high-end casino." Additional amendments are expected Tuesday afternoon.

House subcommittees studying revenues, regulations and "community impact" are to conclude their work today ahead of a full committee vote Wednesday on Senate Bill 152. There are various pending amendments, including:

• Adding a second casino in the White Mountains, with the assumption that the second casino would be one third the size of the first casino. Reps. Edmond Gionet (R-Lincoln) and Ken Weyler (R-Kingston) have sponsored this amendment.

• An amendment for broader legalization of casino gambling, designed to maximize economic development and tap "the potential to make NH a destination for gambling on par with Las Vegas," according to a summary of the proposed amendment.

• An amendment for one large casino that would raise revenue estimates.

• An amendment for six state casinos, two with 1,300 slots, four with 600 slots. This version was put forth by Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R-Manchester), and it's similar to a bill he filed this session.

• An amendment by Reps. Richard Ames (D-Jaffrey), Katherine Rogers (D-Concord) and Peter Leishman (D-Peterborough) to restrict gambling by those under 21, ensure an entertainment center as part of any casino is limited to 1,500 seats and limits impact for existing live entertainment venues, additional language to curtail casino owners or lobbyist influence on the state Legislature, identification of venues (such as Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom and Capital Center for the Arts) which might be impacted, and a requirement that no ATM machines are located within 100 feet of slot machines or table games.

The Ames-Rogers-Leishman amendment calls for numerous other changes to the bill, including requirements for casino license applicants to provide:

• "workforce development plan with affirmative action program"
• equal opportunities for all including disabilities,
• accurate estimate and encourage using existing labor force in NH
• "equal opportunity plan for construction jobs by contractor and sub-contractor that includes specific goals for women, minorities and veterans."

When the subcommittee was reviewing this amendment, Rep. Colette Worsman (R-Meredith) had several questions about whether the amendment would have its desired effect – helping to ensure some of the construction jobs would be won by New Hampshire residents and companies. The proposed criteria, she said, might actually do the opposite, given the state's size and business community.

SB 152, as introduced and as it passed the Senate in March, proposes one high-end casino with up to 150 table games and no more than 5,000 video slot machines.

Gov. Maggie Hassan has supported legalizing casino gambling, but for one high-end location in the southern part of the state. State Sen. Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester), one of the prime sponsors of SB 152, said the sponsors went with one location for a proposed casino because of concerns expressed in the Legislature about the proliferation of expanded gambling.

http://salem-nh.patch.com/articles/casino-bill-multiple-locations-gambling

See:

Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling