Citizens defeat attempt to change the MA casino ATM law

I'm writing a quick update to let you know the Christmas Eve morning attempt by some in the Legislature to change the state's casino ATM law has failed for now. The new legislative session began today. Many of you contacted your legislators and informed others through your social media, blog posts and emails. Your effort to exercise your power produced results, including an editorial from The Boston Globe. Here is The Globe story that ran on New Year's Day describing the defeat of the amendment. Government-sponsored gambling (casinos and state lotteries) is a defining issue about who we are as a people because it is dishonest, financially damaging to citizens and contributes to the unfairness and inequality of opportunity in our society today. The question is not if this public policy will be phased out, or at least drastically reformed, but when. It’s inevitable. If you support our mission and work, please become a member of Stop Predatory Gambling today. Thanks for your efforts last week. Keep pushing. Best, Les ____________ Les Bernal National Director Stop Predatory Gambling "End the dishonesty and harm of government-sponsored gambling and the unfairness and inequality it creates." Quick Links An American Declaration on Government and Gambling Online Store SPG in the Media Take Action A Failed Government Policy Lies vs. Facts Background Reading Share Your Story Donate To The Mission Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation ι 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310 ι Washington, D.C. 20002 ι (202) 567-6996

Suffolk Downs survived again

Suffolk Downs survived again

Before the lights truly went dark on Suffolk Downs, Patrick received a bill for his approval extending the former horse track's simulcasting rights through March, giving the track owners three additional months to figure out what comes next after losing out on a casino license.

Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, who sponsored the original bill that would have let Suffolk Downs takes bets on out-of-state races through July 2016 without any live racing of its own, painted the move as a job saver, linking simulcasting to 100 Eastie jobs. Art courtesy of Wikipedia.

Stop Predatory Gambling and the leaders of Repeal the Casino Deal were quick to jump on an amendment slipped into a banking reform bill on Christmas Eve that would have revised the state's policy on ATMs at casinos.

Sen. Stephen Brewer, who will retire from the Legislature next week, attempted to use the banking bill as a vehicle to clarify state regulations that currently ban cash machines from the "premises" of gambling facilities. The amendment would have restricted ATMs to areas off the gaming floor.

While Brewer and backers say the change was necessary to create a level playing field between state and federal banks and address confusion about the Legislature's intent for ATMs in the 2011 casino gaming law, the swift outrage from anti-gambling groups worried about giving problem gamblers access to quick cash caused the House and Senate to back down on New Year's Eve.

With Attorney General-elect Maura Healey joining the chorus for more deliberation, the banking bill was sent to Patrick without any changes to casino ATM rules.



http://www.capecodtoday.com/article/2015/01/03/28370-was-week-was-state-politics

MA Legislature attempts to secretly hand ATMs to casinos in end-of-year lobbying push

MA Legislature attempts to secretly hand ATMs to casinos in end-of-year lobbying push

stoppredatorygambling   |   Sun, Dec 28, 2014 4:36 PM EST
 

End-of-year informal sessions in the legislature are somewhat notorious for sneaking through substantial policy shifts like this one. Keep your eyes open. - promoted by david
 

On Christmas Eve morning, when virtually no media, citizens or other state legislators were paying attention to legislative business, the Massachusetts Senate approved an amendment during informal session that would allow ATMs inside casinos. This stunning action occurred even though the intent of informal session is to move non-controversial legislation.

Casino ATMs are one of the most predatory and financially damaging business practices used by casinos and they were expressly prohibited when the casino law was signed by Governor Deval Patrick. The ban on ATMs was a core part of the political narrative that Patrick and other casino sponsors sold the public: “We’re going to do casinos right, better than everyone else.”

Why are casino ATMs an issue that you should care about and act on? A leading indicator of someone who is being harmed and financially damaged by casinos is if he or she chases their losses. ATMs are the primary vehicle used by casinos to lure citizens to chase. Their business model hinges on it. Over the last decade there are 11 different independent studies – studies not funded by gambling interests – that show 40%-60% of slot machine profits are taken from citizens who can’t stop chasing their losses.

This is how it works: A citizen goes into the casino and loses all their cash or the “free play” voucher mailed to them by the casino (most often, they lose it all on slot machines which predominate inside casinos.) This is a pivotal moment for the casino…can they get that citizen to chase his or her losses? Slot machine design and free alcohol are two of the critical factors that lure citizens to chase. If the casino is successful, then the next step is the citizen hits the casino ATM to withdraw more money. Most casino ATMs are owned by Global Cash Access (GCA) which then turns around and sells the name, credit info and other information of that citizen back to the casino. Then the casino focuses its most intense marketing efforts against that citizen because they know that if they can get him or her to return to the casino and keep gambling, it is almost inevitable that citizen will keep losing, chasing their losses over and over again. From a casino marketing standpoint, it is the equivalent of painting the citizen in neon orange fluorescent paint with a massive bulls eye on their back.

Removing the state’s ban on ATMs inside casinos does not qualify as “non-controversial” and no such legislation should be moved during informal legislative session. It is a major consumer protection issue that merits bright sunshine.

I ask everyone to please contact your state representative and state senator today or first thing Monday morning and call on them to remove the amendment language approving casino ATMs in House Bill 4110. You can find the contact info for your rep and for your senator here. You can view the full legislative history for House Bill 4110 here.

To learn more about Global Cash Access and their predatory and harmful business practices, I invite you to watch one of their own marketing videos:
 

Repeal of ATM casino ban is in bold.
Banking Laws

Mr. Brewer moved that the bill be amended by striking out, in line 15, the figure “1206” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “1026”; and

by striking out, in line 75, the words “federal Community Reinvestment Act of 1977” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “community reinvestment act in section 14”; and

by inserting after section 27 the following section:-

“SECTION 27A. The second paragraph of section 3 of said chapter 167B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence.”; and

by striking out, in lines 359 and 360, the words:- “; provided, however, that “financial institution” shall mean a bank for the purposes of the first, second and third paragraphs of section 3 and for the purposes of section 4”; and

by striking out, in line 834, the words “; provided, however, such” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “. If, in the opinion of the commissioner, there is an unusual demand by depositors for withdrawals, the bank shall upon the commissioner’s order require such a depositor to give written notice of the depositor’s intention to withdraw the whole or any part of such deposits or to apply for a loan secured by such deposit. Such”; and

by striking out, in lines 1140 and 2212, the word “consistent” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “not inconsistent”; and

by adding the following section:- “SECTION 65. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts gaming commission shall prohibit a gaming licensee from (i) installing, owning or operating an automated teller machine in the gaming area, as defined in section 2 of chapter 23K of the General Laws, or (ii) allowing another person to install, own or operate an automated teller machine in the gaming area, as defined in said section 2 of said chapter 23K. For the purposes of this section, the prohibition shall include, but not be limited to, an automated teller machine or electronic branch of any state or federally-chartered bank, state or federally-chartered credit union or foreign bank.”

 

 

http://bluemassgroup.com/2014/12/ma-legislature-attempts-to-secretly-hand-atms-to-casinos-in-end-of-year-lobbying-push/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bluemassgroup%2Flatest+%28Blue+Mass+Group+-+Latest+Posts%29

 

 

MA Legislature is attempting to secretly hand ATMs to casinos

On Christmas Eve morning, when virtually no media, citizens or other state legislators were paying attention to legislative business, the Massachusetts Senate approved an amendment during informal session that would allow ATMs inside casinos. This stunning action occurred even though the intent of informal session is to move non-controversial legislation. Please take 5 minutes tonight or Monday morning to call both your MA state rep and state senator and tell them to remove the amendment language approving casino ATMs in House Bill 4110. Here's why.

Casino ATMs are one of the most predatory and financially damaging business practices used by casinos and they were expressly prohibited when the casino law was signed by Governor Deval Patrick. The ban on ATMs was a core part of the political narrative that Patrick and other casino sponsors sold the public: "We're going to do casinos right, better than everyone else."

Why are casino ATMs an issue that you should care about and act on? A leading indicator of someone who is being harmed and financially damaged by casinos is if he or she chases their losses. ATMs are the primary vehicle used by casinos to lure citizens to chase. Their business model hinges on it. Over the last decade there are 11 different independent studies – studies not funded by gambling interests - that show 40%-60% of slot machine profits are taken from citizens who can’t stop chasing their losses.

This is how it works: A citizen goes into the casino and loses all their cash or the "free play" voucher mailed to them by the casino (most often, they lose it all on slot machines which predominate inside casinos.) This is a pivotal moment for the casino...can they get that citizen to chase his or her losses? Slot machine design and free alcohol are two of the critical factors that lure citizens to chase. If the casino is successful, then the next step is the citizen hits the casino ATM to withdraw more money. Most casino ATMs are owned by Global Cash Access (GCA) which then turns around and sells the name, credit info and other information of that citizen back to the casino. Then the casino focuses its most intense marketing efforts against that citizen because they know that if they can get him or her to return to the casino and keep gambling, it is almost inevitably that citizen will keep losing, chasing their losses over and over again. From a casino marketing standpoint, it is the equivalent of painting the citizen in neon orange fluorescent paint with a massive bulls eye on their back.

Removing the state's ban on ATMs inside casinos does not qualify as "non-controversial" and no such legislation should be moved during informal legislative session. It is a major consumer protection issue that merits bright sunshine.

I ask everyone to please contact your state representative and state senator today or first thing Monday morning and call on them to remove the amendment language approving casino ATMs in House Bill 4110. You can find the contact info for your rep and for your senator here. You can view the full legislative history for House Bill 4110 here.

To learn more about Global Cash Access and their predatory and harmful business practices, I invite you to watch one of their own marketing videos here.

Thanks for exercising your power to act on this issue.

Best,

Les

____________

Les Bernal

National Director

Stop Predatory Gambling

"End the dishonesty and harm of government-sponsored gambling and the unfairness and inequality it creates."

If you support our mission and work, please become a member of Stop Predatory Gambling today.


Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation ι 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310 ι Washington, D.C. 20002 ι (202) 567-6996

 

Quick Links An American Declaration on Government and Gambling Online Store SPG in the Media Take Action A Failed Government Policy Lies vs. Facts Background Reading Share Your Story Donate To The Mission

Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation ι 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310 ι Washington, D.C. 20002 ι (202) 567-6996 ©2013 Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation. All rights reserved.

Amending the Gam[bl]ing Act.....

Let's inform our State Reps and State Senators: NO!

NO amendments!

In case you haven't heard:

Public hearing on Bill S.166 scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 11:00 AM in room B-1 of the State House.

This Bill would amend the Gaming Act thus:

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, finding the best interests of the Commonwealth greatly served, does hereby AMEND H.3807 Acts of 2011 c. 194, Chapter 23K § 15(13) as follows:

i.) All registered voters in any “host city-town” where a proposed Casino Establishment is to be situated are eligible to vote;

ii.) Following a rejection by certified ballot election denying a Casino Establishment in any “host city-town,” another such election shall not be held for at least 24 months from the date of such rejection;

iii.) Full details of the entire “host city agreement” shall remain available in hard copy and on the Web site of the municipality for at least 24 months or for the duration of any Casino License which ever is longer.

Read the entire text of the bill here:
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/Senate/S166

Fitzgerald: Pols sell out city for blood money

Fitzgerald: Pols sell out city for blood money
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
By: Joe Fitzgerald

They hear just fine, but the powers­ that be do not listen, which is different, because if they listened they couldn’t kid themselves into believing they’d be serving the public well by tearing apart homes and families.

Make no mistake, that’s what gambling can do, which is why it’s called a family disease, a term you’ll never hear from those so-called public servants now closing­ in on bringing casino gambling to this commonwealth.

Some time back, when legislation permitting casinos was winding its way through Beacon Hill, a senator named Sue Tucker zeroed in on some ugliness her colleagues preferred to ignore.

“I found references to wire­tapping, money laundering, enterprise crime,” she said. “But what really got to me were the lines requiring casinos to check their parking lots every two hours for abandoned children.”

To his credit, House Speaker Bob DeLeo called here one day asking for the number of a reader who was livid over the prospect of casino gambling.

He had hoped to offer her re­assurance.

“I told him how my father hocked my mother’s ring, then her watch, always promising to replace them ‘when my ship comes in,’” she said.

“I told him if my father saw two cockroaches on the floor, he’d want to bet a buck on which one reached the wall first.

“When he asked how I felt about casinos and slots I said, ‘People sitting there all night long, swinging their arms on levers, pouring in quarters; that’s how we’re going to fix our economy?’”

Oh, pols can rationalize it; look at all the money the losers will leave behind.

But they can’t justify it, because too often those losers are moms and dads who can’t afford the losses,­ but are seduced by the cruel allure that maybe the next bet will be the one that helps them crawl out of an ever-­deepening hole.

While citizens have every right to engage in a destructive obsession, the government has no business encouraging them.

Indeed, from its founding days, one of government’s fundamental roles has been to “promote the general welfare,” remember?

How does taking blood money from suckers square with that?

Now, in an unconscionable rush to create this cash cow at Suffolk Downs, our public servants would disenfranchise most of Boston’s voters, not allowing them to voice their feelings in a referendum, even though the whole city would have to pay for many of the resources a casino would need.

Then again, sweetheart deals have never been big on democracy.

Public service? Please. This is a public disgrace. - See more at: http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/joe_fitzgerald/2013/08/fitzgerald_pols_sell_out_city_for_blood_money#sthash.vxKuDArd.dpuf

Hearing for Casino $$$$

Legislators watched the flood of $$$ in Middleboro and failed to address the disclosure in the legislation. A little late, but the legislation below attempts to add transparency.




http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H04049


Subject: NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON H4049, Wednesday, June 13, 2012--Joint Committee on Election Laws

Joint Committee on Election Laws

Rep. Aaron Michlewitz Sen. Barry Finegold

House Chairman Senate Chairman

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Date of Hearing: Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Time: 10:00 A.M.

Location: Room B-2

The Joint Committee on Election Laws will conduct a public hearing on a bill concerning casino referenda.

BILL #	SPONSOR	TITLE
H4049	Rep. Angelo Scaccia	An Act relative to casino referenda

Please note that schedule and agenda are subject to change.

You may contact committee staff with any questions at (617) 722-2460.

---

Jared Magee

Research Director
Joint Committee on Election Laws
Representative Aaron Michlewitz, House Chairman
x8986 or 617 722 2460
jared.magee@mahouse.gov

We have lost our moral compass

We have lost our moral compass as a nation when Government partners with a Predatory Industry and this is the cost:

Even worse, gambling addictions can even lead to suicides.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.



Gambling addictions, suicides come with opening of casinos

Posted: 05/20/2012
By Michael Baldwin


CLEVELAND - No doubt plenty of business has been generated by the recent opening of Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. But it does come with a price for those who have a gambling addiction.

Inside the halls of Recovery Resources is where you'll find Jen Clegg. She's on the front lines of gambling addiction in northeast Ohio.

"By the time the person comes into treatment here, they are kind of recognizing that they have a problem with gambling. They may not identify it with an addiction, but they definitely recognize that there's a problem."

NewsChannel5 tried to talk with a gambling addict, but they all declined an interview.

Clegg said the addicts all come there for hope, something they see as a luxury. Gambling addicts stare their addiction in the face every time they walk into a grocery store, convenient store or gas station.

"There's no cut off to gambling like alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs you kind of naturally stop because your body shuts down," explained Dr. Heather Chapman, who works at the VA Medical Center.

She recently spoke at a seminar in Cleveland designed to help social workers mentor those who have dealt with other addictions like substance abuse, only to be welcomed into the world of gambling addiction.

"We can see, we can smell alcohol on a person's breathe. We do drug screens and tell that somebody is using substances. But there aren't screening tools for gamblers. I can give somebody a urine test and spades and diamonds and clubs aren't going to come out," said Clegg.

Even worse, gambling addictions can even lead to suicides.

In Gulfport, Mississippi, suicides skyrocketed 213 percent in the first two years the casino there opened. In Biloxi, they jumped a staggering 1,000 percent in the first four years.

"We are assessing if there is an issue with suicides and if there are underlying issues, such as depression or anxiety," explained Clegg. "And then determining how to help link the people with the services that they need."

Often times, people who have other substance abuse problems will transfer their addiction to things like gambling, Clegg said.

While Clegg doesn't expect the phone to ring off the hook right away, she does think in time the average number of six calls daily will go "way up."


Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/gambling-addictions-suicides-come-with-opening-of-casinos#ixzz1vVHR2YrZ

Making innocent targets for the Gambling Industry

Legislators, anxious to pass legislation written by, for and of the Gambling Industry, included a provision to consider the repeal of the Happy Hour Prohibition for bars and restaurants, instead of eliminating FREE ALCOHOL at the proposed Slot Barns around the state. Not every state allows FREE ALCOHOL.

For the Gambling Industry, it reduces inhibitions, encourages patrons to linger longer, losing $$$, maybe even sign up for a LOAN to continue feeding the Slot Machines [most of their revenue comes from Slots].  

The Happy Hour prohibition was enacted to reduce the highway bloodbath caused by drunk drivers and successfully did so.

The Legislature instead made each of us innocent targets simply to genuflect before an Industry in which + 50% of their patrons are Gambling Addicts, created by them.



Local bar managers defend happy hour prohibition at Bridgewater hearing

file photo

The owners of Abington Ale House do not want a return of happy hour, which is banned in the state.

By Erik Potter

Enterprise Staff Writer

Posted May 16, 2012

BRIDGEWATER —

Richard Barrett called the 1970s and ’80s a “blood bath” for the bar industry in Massachusetts, a time when bar owners were seen as enemies of public safety.

The president of Barrett Restaurants in Abington told the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission on Tuesday that he didn’t want to see the state return to those days when happy hours at bars were legal and four-for-one drink specials were common.

The ABCC held at Bridgewater State University the first of five public hearings on whether to change or abandon its 28-year prohibition on bars offering drink specials.

Barrett was one of only five people who offered testimony on the subject. The eight people who attended barely populated the first few rows of the Moakley Center.

All the speakers argued against changing the state’s happy hour prohibition, which went into effect in 1984 to curb alcohol-related accidents and deaths.

However, as part of the legislation last year approving casino gambling, the state Legislature required the ABCC to conduct a study on changing or repealing its happy-hour rule, given that the new casinos will be able to give away free drinks on the gambling floor.

Ed Stewart, general manager of the Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater, said casinos and bars are two different markets.

“(Happy hours) are not going to put us on the same plane as the casinos,” he said. “What would ... would be to let the operators who qualify have a few (slot) machines.”

The ABCC will hold four other hearings through the summer and prepare a recommendation to the Legislature by June 30, 2013.

Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/answerbook/abington/x2016702012/Local-bar-owners-defend-happy-hour-prohibition#ixzz1v2FsqjWi

Revoke $46.5 M in Tax Giveaways

Please speak out and add your name --

http://www.green-rainbow.org/liberty_mutual_tower_subsidy_petition

Revoke $46.5 M in Tax Giveaways for Construction of Liberty Mutual Office Tower

To: Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston City Councilors, Governor Deval Patrick and Legislators
Whereas: Mayor Menino and the Boston City Council have granted Liberty Mutual $24 million in property tax breaks and Governor Patrick has given Liberty Mutual $22.5 million in state subsidies to build a new office tower in Boston near its existing office in Boston.
Whereas: These subsidies are being granted to a corporation so wealthy that it testified to City Council that it could build the $300 million tower with cash on hand, and is on the Forbes 100 list, earning over a billion dollars a year in profit.
Whereas: This subsidy money is being taken from essential city and state services including schools, libraries, parks, transit, youth jobs and community centers, even as their funding is being slashed.
read the full petition text

We ask that the city and state revoke the $24 million in property tax breaks and $22.5 million in state subsidies granted to Liberty Mutual for the construction of a new office tower. Redirecting these funds to city and state services would make a real difference in people’s lives.

Will you sign?

To add your name:


http://www.green-rainbow.org/liberty_mutual_tower_subsidy_petition

Our View: Corruption thrives with state secrets

The candidate who ran for Governor on a platform of reform has sorely disappointed his supporters by negotiating Expanded Gambling behind closed doors.

So much for leadership!

Our View: Corruption thrives with state secrets
April 12, 2012 12:00 AM

In a state where public corruption cases seem as common as seashells on a beach, it came as somewhat of a surprise that Massachusetts received the 10th highest score, among 50 states, in the "State Integrity Investigation." Conducted by the Center for Public Policy, Global Integrity and Public Radio International, the investigation was designed to measure the risk for public corruption.

Massachusetts received a grade of "C" and a numerical score of 74, garnering the highest scores for its approach to redistricting, its transparency of political and campaign finance records, and lobbying disclosure rules. While there is reason to feel good on these fronts, the news on other fronts is dismal.

The state received an "F" for public access to government information, an "F" for public access to the state budget process, and a "D+" for legislative accountability.

In the last 15 years, three consecutive state Speakers of the House have been convicted on federal corruption charges, several state contractor employees were convicted for fraud, false billing and shoddy work related to the financially bloated Big Dig project, and a Boston state senator was convicted on bribery charges after she was photographed stuffing the ill-gotten money into her bra.

The latest barrage of public corruption cases involved six former state officials who were indicted over the last two weeks.

On March 24, former state Probation Commissioner John J. O'Brien and two of his former deputies, Elizabeth V. Tavares and William H. Burke III, were indicted on charges that they gave job applicants, who were sponsored by powerful lawmakers, including Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, hiring preference over more qualified candidates. O'Brien, Tavares and Burke are accused of maintaining "sponsor lists" to ensure that sponsored candidates were hired. Their motive, say prosecutors, was to curry favor with the Legislature, which controls the agency's budget.

On April 3, former state Treasurer Timothy Cahill and his former chief of staff Scott S. Campbell were indicted for allegedly orchestrating a state lottery television advertising campaign, funded with $1.6 million in taxpayer money, which prosecutors say was intended to boost Cahill's failing 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Cahill's former lottery chief of staff Alfred J. Grazioso was also indicted on two counts of obstruction of justice.

That these cases involve legislators, a statewide office holder and public agency leaders comes as little surprise when looking at the weaknesses pointed out by the integrity investigation.

Most of the wrangling over the state budget, as well as major legislative actions, happens behind closed doors, and the public has no legal access to records from these meetings. The 2011 casino gambling bill, arguably the most transformational bill in the last decade, was negotiated by the Governor, Senate President and House Speaker before it was sent to the Legislature, where it was approved with relatively little debate.

History shows us that corruption flourishes when the press and the public are not given the opportunity to see how and why public officials make decisions, how and why taxpayer money is spent and which special interests are influencing the actions of public officials.

....will Beacon Hill keep the money safe?

Casinos to pay for compulsive gambling help, but will Beacon Hill keep the money safe?
Mike Beaudet
Kevin Rothstein, Producer

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Once Massachusetts casinos are open and generating taxes, tens of millions dollars are supposed to be set aside to help treat compulsive gamblers. But some are wondering if Beacon Hill’s addiction to cash will make them try and grab some of the money for other uses.

“The legislature giveth and the legislature taketh,” said Steve Shestakofsky, executive director of Tobacco Free Mass, who has seen millions originally meant for smoking prevention programs be diverted.

Anti-smoking programs were supposed to get a far bigger share of cigarette tax and tobacco company settlement money, but tens of millions of dollars were instead sent instead to the state’s general fund for lawmakers to spend as they please.

“Massachusetts takes in $832 million from these tobacco sources. In our last budget, only $4.15 million was appropriated to the Department of Public Health to do something,” Shestakofsky said. “That's about one-half of one percent of all the tobacco dollars that have come into the state, which is not what it should be.”

Just like anti-smoking programs were supposed to be funded with tobacco money, gambling addiction programs are slated to be funded by casino tax money. The state’s new casino law includes the creation of a public health trust fund, funded with five percent of the state tax collected on gross gaming revenue. That’s an estimated $20-25 million a year to address problems associated with compulsive gambling.

Many in Massachusetts are already skeptical about casinos. FOX 25 viewers responding to a myfoxboston.com poll overwhelmingly said corruption will go hand-in-hand with casinos. That's a finding that surprised Stephen Crosby, head of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission when he was interviewed by FOX 25 the day after his appointment.

“Ninety-seven out of 100 people assume that this process will not be on the level. Wow,” Crosby said, responding to the poll’s findings.

“So how do you make it on the level?” he was asked.

“It's totally in our actions and not in our words obviously we will try to be as transparent as we can possibly be,” he said.

But there’s more evidence for skeptics who wonder if money for gambling addiction will be siphoned away.

There’s the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, funded by the fee people pay to reinstate their driver's license after a suspension. All the money was supposed to go to the fund for research, but in the eleventh hour, lawmakers diverted half into the general fund.

Then there's the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Every gallon of gasoline contains a two-and-a-half cent tax that was promised to go toward the fund to help pay the cost of cleaning up leaking storage tanks at gas stations. It totals about $80 million every year, but just weeks after then-Gov. Mitt Romney got an increase in the fee, he eliminated the fund, sending the tens of millions of dollars promised for environmental cleanup instead into the general fund

FOX Undercover reporter Mike Beaudet asked state Rep. Brad Jones, the House minority leader, if the same thing could happen with casino money.
“Absolutely could happen. The potential is absolutely there,” Jones said.

The Reading Republican says the creation of the public health trust fund is a key ingredient of the casino law for a lot of legislators, and he expects lawmakers to protect it.
However, legislative history is not lost on him, either.

“A dollar bill on the ground on Beacon Hill is in jeopardy because they'll be a hundred people to jump on it. And a pot of money will be viewed as the path or solution to a great many problems,” he said.

He’s not the only one worried.

“These windfall gambling profits, the legislature often spends them just like they won the lottery,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Whyte points to other states that dedicated casino money to help fight compulsive gambling, only to later divert millions to pay for other things.

“We've seen a 90 percent cut in Florida. We've seen massive cuts in other states,” Whyte said.

A Massachusetts public health official points out that the state is dedicating more to gambling addiction than any other state.

“I can't speak on behalf of the Legislature or what they might do, but I think we have broad support, particularly from the governor and the Legislature to make sure that this money will be used for the purposes for which the law is designed,” said state assistant public health commissioner Michael Botticelli, who heads the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

“But this governor and this Legislature probably won't be here when that money is there,” Beaudet said.

“Again, I can't speak for the Legislature or what future members might do, but I think what they embedded in the legislation and would require some level of legislative change to really look at using those dollars in other ways,” Botticelli said.

Whyte says other states’ experiences should be a warning for Massachusetts.

“We're deeply concerned that even though casinos are often sold as having this dedicated fund, it's easy apparently for legislators to go back in and not actually commit all that money that was promised,” he said.

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling canceled an interview with FOX Undercover, deciding it would be premature to comment on the new law. Perhaps because, the council gets money from the state to do its work and is in line to get a lot more money, it doesn't want to angry anyone on Beacon Hill.

Executive Director Marlene Warner did provide a statement saying, “Unlike misdirected cuts to problem gambling services in other states, such as Nevada and Florida, the Commonwealth has committed to the people that they will appropriately address and fund the prevention, intervention and treatment services needed to mitigate the problems associated with legalized gambling.”

Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com//dpp/news/undercover/casinos-to-pay-for-compulsive-gambling-help-but-will-beacon-hill-keep-the-money-safe-20120202#ixzz1m53TxS00

Public perception not far from broken promises

Many in Massachusetts are already skeptical about casinos. FOX 25 viewers responding to a myfoxboston.com poll overwhelmingly said corruption will go hand-in-hand with casinos. That's a finding that surprised Stephen Crosby, head of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission when he was interviewed by FOX 25 the day after his appointment. “Ninety-seven out of 100 people assume that this process will not be on the level. Wow,” Crosby said, responding to the poll’s findings.




Casinos to pay for compulsive gambling help, but will Beacon Hill keep the money safe?
Mike Beaudet

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Once Massachusetts casinos are open and generating taxes, tens of millions dollars are supposed to be set aside to help treat compulsive gamblers. But some are wondering if Beacon Hill’s addiction to cash will make them try and grab some of the money for other uses.

“The legislature giveth and the legislature taketh,” said Steve Shestakofsky, executive director of Tobacco Free Mass, who has seen millions originally meant for smoking prevention programs be diverted.

Anti-smoking programs were supposed to get a far bigger share of cigarette tax and tobacco company settlement money, but tens of millions of dollars were instead sent instead to the state’s general fund for lawmakers to spend as they please.

“Massachusetts takes in $832 million from these tobacco sources. In our last budget, only $4.15 million was appropriated to the Department of Public Health to do something,” Shestakofsky said. “That's about one-half of one percent of all the tobacco dollars that have come into the state, which is not what it should be.”

Just like anti-smoking programs were supposed to be funded with tobacco money, gambling addiction programs are slated to be funded by casino tax money. The state’s new casino law includes the creation of a public health trust fund, funded with five percent of the state tax collected on gross gaming revenue. That’s an estimated $20-25 million a year to address problems associated with compulsive gambling.

Many in Massachusetts are already skeptical about casinos. FOX 25 viewers responding to a myfoxboston.com poll overwhelmingly said corruption will go hand-in-hand with casinos. That's a finding that surprised Stephen Crosby, head of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission when he was interviewed by FOX 25 the day after his appointment. “Ninety-seven out of 100 people assume that this process will not be on the level. Wow,” Crosby said, responding to the poll’s findings.

“So how do you make it on the level?” he was asked.

“It's totally in our actions and not in our words obviously we will try to be as transparent as we can possibly be,” he said.

But there’s more evidence for skeptics who wonder if money for gambling addiction will be siphoned away.

There’s the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, funded by the fee people pay to reinstate their driver's license after a suspension. All the money was supposed to go to the fund for research, but in the eleventh hour, lawmakers diverted half into the general fund.

Then there's the Underground Storage Tank Fund. Every gallon of gasoline contains a two-and-a-half cent tax that was promised to go toward the fund to help pay the cost of cleaning up leaking storage tanks at gas stations. It totals about $80 million every year, but just weeks after then-Gov. Mitt Romney got an increase in the fee, he eliminated the fund, sending the tens of millions of dollars promised for environmental cleanup instead into the general fund.

FOX Undercover reporter Mike Beaudet asked state Rep. Brad Jones, the House minority leader, if the same thing could happen with casino money. “Absolutely could happen. The potential is absolutely there,” Jones said.

The Reading Republican says the creation of the public health trust fund is a key ingredient of the casino law for a lot of legislators, and he expects lawmakers to protect it. However, legislative history is not lost on him, either.

“A dollar bill on the ground on Beacon Hill is in jeopardy because they'll be a hundred people to jump on it. And a pot of money will be viewed as the path or solution to a great many problems,” he said.

He’s not the only one worried.

“These windfall gambling profits, the legislature often spends them just like they won the lottery,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Whyte points to other states that dedicated casino money to help fight compulsive gambling, only to later divert millions to pay for other things.

“We've seen a 90 percent cut in Florida. We've seen massive cuts in other states,” Whyte said.

A Massachusetts public health official points out that the state is dedicating more to gambling addiction than any other state.

“I can't speak on behalf of the Legislature or what they might do, but I think we have broad support, particularly from the governor and the Legislature to make sure that this money will be used for the purposes for which the law is designed,” said state assistant public health commissioner Michael Botticelli, who heads the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

“But this governor and this Legislature probably won't be here when that money is there,” Beaudet said.

“Again, I can't speak for the Legislature or what future members might do, but I think what they embedded in the legislation and would require some level of legislative change to really look at using those dollars in other ways,” Botticelli said.

Whyte says other states’ experiences should be a warning for Massachusetts.

“We're deeply concerned that even though casinos are often sold as having this dedicated fund, it's easy apparently for legislators to go back in and not actually commit all that money that was promised,” he said.

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling canceled an interview with FOX Undercover, deciding it would be premature to comment on the new law. Perhaps because, the council gets money from the state to do its work and is in line to get a lot more money, it doesn't want to angry anyone on Beacon Hill.

Executive Director Marlene Warner did provide a statement saying, “Unlike misdirected cuts to problem gambling services in other states, such as Nevada and Florida, the Commonwealth has committed to the people that they will appropriately address and fund the prevention, intervention and treatment services needed to mitigate the problems associated with legalized gambling.”

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The Myth of "Getting it Right"

Beacon Hill was too focused on backroom deals and receiving the blessings of the Gambling Industry to focus on their responsibilities to protect Massachusetts residents in this Folly.

This is just the beginning!

Wait until they figure out what else they screwed up and what it will cost.

Let's just Repeal this deal!


[State Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole] said legislators were unable to anticipate all the possible consequences of the casino bill.

Timilty said he expects Connecticut casinos to get involved and campaign to defeat referendums in Massachusetts.

State Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield, whose district includes Foxboro, said he thinks Galvin is on to something the Legislature did not think of when passing the bill. “This is something that is definitely worth a conversation,” Barrows said.


NEW FRIDAY: Galvin wants to tighten spending rules for casino referendums
By Jim Hand

With the prospect of highly contentious referendums on casinos facing cities and towns across the state, Secretary of State William Galvin is calling for tighter rules for reporting political spending.

Galvin said local referendums are usually low-cost affairs with opposing sides spending little money. The issues usually involve questions such as whether to build a new library or put an addition on a school.

Now, with communities required to vote on whether to accept a casino proposal in their community, Galvin said hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, will be spent trying to influence voters.

Casinos proponents will spend to try to get their project approved, while opponents and casino competitors will dole out campaign money trying to defeat referendums, he said.

“This is something we haven’t seen in Massachusetts at the local level ... You’re going to have high-stakes referendums, no pun intended,” he said.

Galvin said he will prepare legislation calling for groups that spend money on the referendums to disclose where the money comes from.

He also wants instant, electronic reporting of expenditures close to election day.

Reaction to Galvin’s idea from local legislators was initially positive. “He is absolutely right. The whole landscape has changed,” said state Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, who represents Foxboro.

Timilty said lawmakers like himself were focused on approving casinos to compete with out-of-state gambling facilities and assumed they would be placed in communities that wanted them.

The situation in Foxboro has shown how contentious the issue can be.

Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have proposed building a casino on Route 1 in Foxboro. Groups have sprouted up both in favor and against the proposal.

Timilty compared the days after the casino bill passed the Legislature to the scene in the movie “The Candidate” where a character played by Robert Redford unexpectedly got elected senator and asked “Now what?”

He said legislators were unable to anticipate all the possible consequences of the casino bill.

Timilty said he expects Connecticut casinos to get involved and campaign to defeat referendums in Massachusetts.

State Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield, whose district includes Foxboro, said he thinks Galvin is on to something the Legislature did not think of when passing the bill. “This is something that is definitely worth a conversation,” Barrows said.

Flawed casino bill leaves public interest too vulnerable

Flawed casino bill leaves public interest too vulnerable

FOUR YEARS ago, when Governor Patrick resurrected the idea of legalizing casinos in Massachusetts, it seemed conceivable that doing so could work out to the state’s advantage. For most Bay State residents who visit Connecticut from time to time to play roulette and see a favorite comedian, gambling is harmless entertainment and nothing more. For that reason, authorizing Foxwoods-style destination casinos looked like an easy way to recapture hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues and satisfy public needs from transportation to local aid - and generate thousands of new jobs to boot.

The key question, though, was whether the governor and state lawmakers could expand gambling in a manner that maximizes the economic benefits for the state and minimizes the potential for political intrigue. While a Beacon Hill conference committee is still reconciling the measures that passed the House and Senate this fall, it’s become quite clear that the political system in Massachusetts isn’t well-equipped to withstand the intense pressure that legalized gambling will place upon it.

The public interest is highly vulnerable on some of the nitty-gritty issues now before House and Senate negotiators. For instance, under which circumstances will voters in the state’s largest cities get a vote on a proposed gambling facility in their communities? For how long should lawmakers be prohibited from working for gambling companies after they leave office? On both issues, the Senate bill is better than the House bill - which would deny most Bostonians a vote on a casino in the city and provides no cooling-off period before a lawmaker could take a job with a gambling operator. But neither bill’s provisions are adequate.

Still more telling are key issues that are no longer on the table. While Patrick’s original vision was for three destination casinos, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who has long shown a special interest in Suffolk Downs, wanted to let the state’s ailing racetracks have slot machines. Last year’s negotiations stalled on the issue. This year, Patrick, DeLeo, and Senate President Therese Murray agreed on a plan to license three casinos and a slots parlor - and to set aside some of the proceeds to prop up the racing industry. At this point, writing this kind of favoritism into law isn’t even up for debate, and there are ample grounds for public cynicism. Is there much doubt that Suffolk Downs will come away with either a casino or a slots license, no matter what?

Sadly, there’s little evidence that Beacon Hill has taken recent scandals to heart. When former state senator Dianne Wilkerson pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme over a liquor license, it foreshadowed the danger of corruption on casino licensing decisions, where exponentially more money is at stake. When former House Speaker Sal DiMasi was convicted of taking kickbacks to fix a multimillion-dollar insurance contract, it highlighted how even a seasoned lawmaker could view self-dealing as part of how things are done on Beacon Hill.

Yet at the point in the legislative process when the public most needs reassurance, the signs are particularly grim. Recently the lead House negotiator, Representative Joseph Wagner, maintained that denying politicians the ability to be hired right out of the Legislature and into casino jobs would “preclude the best and brightest’’ from working in the industry. Meanwhile, the Globe recently reported that a key Patrick aide on the gambling issue, economic-development chief Greg Bialecki, owned $17,000 in stocks in companies that hope to build casinos in the state. Most people on Beacon Hill barely shrugged.

When Patrick offered a casino plan four years ago, he did so cautiously, and the bill as it now stands is still farther from his ideals. Yes, the conference committee can and should strengthen ethics protections and local-control provisions in the bill. Yet unless the basic outlines are changed to conform to Patrick’s initial vision, it simply shouldn’t pass, and Patrick should veto it if it does. If Massachusetts marries the casino industry on these terms, it will be stuck with the consequences forever.

Status quo survives

Status quo survives
By Boston Herald Editorial Staff

Republicans pushing for new ethics reforms in the House have tossed Speaker Robert DeLeo and Rules Committee Chairman John Binienda a John Lackey-esque softball — and still they’ve managed to whiff.

Democrats on Wednesday refused to release from committee a GOP proposal for internal rules changes, missing a huge opportunity to prove that they are serious about polishing the Legislature’s heavily-tarnished reputation — and at a time when they’re facing criticism about their handling of a controversial casino bill.

Highlights of the GOP proposal include the requirement of an equal number of seats for Democrats and Republicans on the Ethics Committee (currently the majority party dominates membership) and a requirement that registered lobbyists wear ID badges while working inside the State House.

No, these aren’t the most dazzling changes, but that makes the majority party’s intransigence even more puzzling. This is a lay-up for leadership. They don’t have to approve every last idea, but they could at least prove their willingness to work with Republicans and consider creative ways to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the most honest, ethical and transparent manner.

Ah, but that would require an open discussion about the seedier side of deal-making on Beacon Hill. Better to pretend that the House is all stocked up on ethics, even after the conviction of the previous speaker on bribery and corruption charges. Rank-and-file Democrats should stop acting like sheep and join the GOP in demanding a full debate.

Beacon Hill rushes to embrace scandal

Worth reading:

Mashpee Wampanoag tribe financial scandal broadens; Senate legislation still includes Cromwell preference

Atlantic City Union Casino Workers Face Poverty

So much for those low wage casino jobs! Are you watching, Beacon Hill?


He said his current $5.26 hourly wage would be rolled back to $4.50 under the casinos' proposal. In addition, he would have to pay $1.20 per hour toward his health care and 83 cents for pension and severance benefits. In all, he estimates he would lose more than $5,000 in income annually.


Local 54 casino workers union fights prospect of pay cuts in weak economy, more competitive gaming market
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI, Staff Writer pressofAtlanticCity.com

ATLANTIC CITY - Local 54 of UNITE-HERE, the city's largest gaming union, fears the casinos' desire for wage and benefit cuts could unravel the promise that was made when legalized gambling began in the resort in 1978 - that workers would have relatively high-paying jobs.

"It's clear to me that the industry has definitely walked away from its commitment to both the state and the local economy that these would be good-paying jobs with good benefits," Local 54 President Bob McDevitt said. "It's really up to the community and the union to hold their feet to the fire to make sure they don't do that."

Casino waiter Tony Davila fondly recalled the 1990s, when Atlantic City's free-spending gamblers showered him with generous tips and he was earning between $800 and $900 per week.

Contrast those days with the downtrodden casino market now. Davila, who works at the Plate restaurant at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, said the big tippers are long gone and he is pulling in $400 to $500 weekly.

"My daughter wants to go to college, but I'm not able to save anything," said Davila, 45, of Atlantic City. "Between my car payment, food, bills, and rent, I just can't save any money. We're struggling."

Atlantic City's casinos are struggling, too. In ongoing contract negotiations with the labor union that represents Davila and thousands of other casino service workers, the gaming industry is pushing for financial concessions that could dramatically alter the pay structure in the nation's second-largest gambling market.

Gaming analysts say the proposed austerity measures reflect the realities of Atlantic City's slumping casino industry. The lucrative 1990s that Davila spoke of were prior to the arrival of casinos in surrounding states. Competition, among other factors including the economy, has caused Atlantic City's gaming revenue to plunge from $5.2 billion in 2006 to $3.6 billion in 2010, a decrease of 30 percent.

"All the prior union contracts were negotiated in a monopolistic environment in Atlantic City," said Harvey Perkins, executive vice president of Spectrum Gaming Group, a casino consulting firm based in Linwood. "Subsequently, as we all know, Atlantic City no longer has a monopoly on East Coast gaming. So it's reasonable to assume, given the market dynamics that currently exist, that some economic adjustments may have to take place within the contracts."

Local 54 is negotiating new contracts with 10 of the city's 11 casino hotels. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is not involved in the talks because its contract with Local 54 runs through 2012.

Contracts at nine of the 10 casinos expired Thursday. Resorts Casino Hotel is negotiating a new labor agreement following its change of ownership last December but is not facing a deadline. For now, the union says it is willing to continue to bargain, putting any possible strike plans on hold.

However, Local 54 has been staging mass demonstrations at Resorts during the negotiations to protest steep wage cuts made by the new owners. The union is worried that Resorts' lower pay scale - called "poverty wages" by McDevitt - could ripple through the entire gaming industry and serve as a model for other casinos.

"We're going to ratchet up the pressure at Resorts to get them in line," McDevitt said.

Dennis Gomes, co-owner and chief executive officer of Resorts, criticized the union's tactics. Resorts, he said, retained most of the existing workers when the new owners took over and paid Local 54 members at union rates.

"If it's a case of poverty level, then their system is flawed and their contract is flawed, because they negotiated with the entire industry," Gomes said. "It's ridiculous the position they're taking. As far as I'm concerned, it's propaganda."

Local 54 represents 14,000 casino employees, including waiters, cocktail servers, bartenders, cooks, housekeepers, and other service workers. Casinos are demanding that Local 54 members - now earning an average of $12 per hour - accept a 25 percent wage cut, McDevitt said. Local 54 workers also are being asked to contribute to their health care and pension benefits for the first time ever.

"We haven't agreed to any concessions yet," said McDevitt, who suggested the casinos should instead cut costs in other ways that would not affect the livelihood of Local 54 members.

Davila is at risk of losing even more money if casinos succeed in their pursuit of wage and benefit concessions. He said his current $5.26 hourly wage would be rolled back to $4.50 under the casinos' proposal. In addition, he would have to pay $1.20 per hour toward his health care and 83 cents for pension and severance benefits. In all, he estimates he would lose more than $5,000 in income annually.

"People are very nervous," Davila said of Local 54's members. "We've never paid for health care. That's one of the things the union takes pride in, making sure the casinos pay for health care."

Casino executives have declined to discuss any specific contract proposals while negotiations continue. Perkins, however, said the gaming industry simply cannot afford higher labor costs in a shrinking marketplace.

Atlantic City's gaming revenue has declined 36 straight months, and there is little to suggest a market recovery anytime soon, even with the scheduled May grand opening of the new $2.4 billion Revel casino, Perkins added.

Local 54 members are not the only casino workers to suffer. Unions representing trade workers such as operating engineers, painters, and carpenters agreed to wage concessions in contract negotiations earlier this year.

"We go through it all the time. It depends on the environment," said Will Pauls, president of the South Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council. "Even in the building trades in the last couple of years, we have given back some things. If the market's down, you try to help out the businesses you're dealing with. Hopefully, in a few years, the market gets better."

McDevitt, however, drew distinctions between the skilled trade workers and Local 54's members, who largely hold unskilled jobs and depend on tips for most of their income.

"The trades bargained a series of concessions, but there's a huge difference between the level of work my members do and the level of income my people make," McDevitt said. "A tradesperson gets paid a significantly higher wage than a service person."

Davila, a casino worker since 1989, said he depends on tips for 70 percent to 80 percent of his earnings. He explained that his tips have been dropping in recent years, as gaming customers have tightened their spending or simply no longer come to Atlantic City because of casinos in neighboring states.

"Things were lovely in 1989. The tips were good, the money was great," he said. "Now, the tips aren't the way they used to be. We also have competition from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. Before, you would go to Atlantic City to gamble or to Las Vegas to gamble. People have other places to go to now, so it's hurting Atlantic City."