Embezzlement cases soared in Connecticut after the casinos came. Police made 43 embezzlement arrests before the first casino opened, in 1991, and 214 in 2007. The state's increase was nearly 10 times the national average.
Drunk driving cases soared, too.
Norwich, for instance, had 129 drunk driving cases in 1992 and 252 in 2008. There were 37 in Montville in 1992 and 116 in 2007.
The state police barracks in Montville conducted far more drunk driving investigations - 2,313 between 2003 and 2007 - than any other barracks in the state. The next closest was Westbrook, with only 1,629 investigations.
Mohegan and Mashantucket ads: Gambling is bad
Publication: The Day
Published September 12. 2014
So the Mohegan Indians are now in the nail-biting stage of their bid to run a Boston casino.
Based on the early scoring, their prospects are not looking so good and they may well lose the bidding war to Las Vegas casino king Steve Wynn. They also got the bad news this week they should pony up another $100 million in equity in the project to stay in the game.
It looks likely that by this time next week, the Mohegans will be in the same boat as the Mashantucket Pequots: Running a big leveraged Connecticut casino that is about to be poached by leading industry players in Massachusetts.
Alas, it could soon be a sinking boat.
All those news stories about big casinos closing in Atlantic City should send a chill down spines here in eastern Connecticut, where a mainstay of the economy will soon take a big hit.
There is one more hope that things won't get too dire.
Casino opponents in Massachusetts have managed to put on the ballot for November voting a repeal question that would end Massachusetts' march toward full-scale casino gambling.
Maybe the Mashantuckets and Mohegans should get on board the anti-casino movement in the Bay State.
How about some clever advertising campaigns by the two Connecticut casino tribes, telling the people of Massachusetts how bad gambling could be for them.
Who would know better?
I might suggest an advertising campaign based on the 2009 study commissioned by the Connecticut General Assembly that catalogued many of the negative impacts the casinos have had in this state.
From increased road repairs to the cost of English as second language programs for schools teaching the children of casino workers, the report listed some things the tribes might want Massachusetts voters to think about in November.
Norwich Free Academy estimated its annual casino-related costs at $600,000 in the report. Montville reported then it was paying an additional $300,000 in language programs.
William W. Backus Hospital reported losing as much as $1 million in treating uninsured people from the casinos.
The report logged more suicides, accidents, drunk driving and crime, especially embezzlement, since the casinos opened.
Embezzlement cases soared in Connecticut after the casinos came. Police made 43 embezzlement arrests before the first casino opened, in 1991, and 214 in 2007. The state's increase was nearly 10 times the national average.
Drunk driving cases soared, too.
Norwich, for instance, had 129 drunk driving cases in 1992 and 252 in 2008. There were 37 in Montville in 1992 and 116 in 2007.
The state police barracks in Montville conducted far more drunk driving investigations - 2,313 between 2003 and 2007 - than any other barracks in the state. The next closest was Westbrook, with only 1,629 investigations.
Surely the marketing departments at the two Connecticut casinos could work up some catchy ads to run soon in Massachusetts. How about some, for instance, featuring mug shots of all those embezzlers caught after losing money on the gaming floors? Or maybe they could have billboards showing drunk drivers pulled over.
A catchy slogan? How about: Let Connecticut Keep Gambling! Casinos Feed Crime!
Ok, we may not see Connecticut's gaming tribes step into the Massachusetts casino referendum fray.
But I bet there will be a lot of crossed fingers and toes on the reservations here when Massachusetts voters go to the polls.
This is the opinion of David Collins
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