19 laid off in restructuring of Foxwoods engineering

19 laid off in restructuring of Foxwoods engineering
By Brian Hallenbeck
Publication: The Day

Published 07/19/2012

 

33 union workers take buyout; 14 promoted

Mashantucket - Nineteen workers have been laid off in Foxwoods Resort Casino's restructuring of its engineering department, casino management said Wednesday.

"Over the last several weeks, we have been able to explore alternatives to involuntary layoffs, including promoting a total of 14 employees, allowing them to more effectively utilize their strengths and areas of expertise," Dale Wolbrink, a Foxwoods spokeswoman, said in an email.

"A total of 19 positions were eliminated due to prior departmental overstaffing," he said.
In addition, 33 members of the department voluntarily accepted severance packages, according to employees who asked to remain anonymous.

John Fussell, an attorney who represents Local 30 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, noted that the layoffs were not as extensive as originally proposed. Foxwoods had informed the union last month that it intended to eliminate more than 70 engineering positions.

The 14 employees who were promoted filled vacant supervisory positions in the engineering department, which required them to relinquish their union affiliation, the employees said. Local 30 represents the department's non-management employees.

All told, the restructuring reduced the department's union ranks by 66, leaving the union with slightly more than 200 members.

"Today, our engineering department and its team members are poised for continued success from a productivity, proficiency, and occupational perspective," said Chris O'Connell, Foxwoods' vice president of hotel operations, who oversees the department.

Engineering department members include plumbers, carpenters, electricians, HVAC technicians, landscapers, millwrights, painters, locksmiths and power plant workers.

Foxwoods did not provide specifics on how the restructuring affected the individual trades.

Employees who spoke about the restructuring said the number of power plant workers, who maintain the three plants that serve Foxwoods, including MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, was cut from 18 to nine.

While Local 30 officials did not respond to repeated calls and emails seeking comment this week, Fussell responded by email Wednesday.

"The union regrets the decision of the new Foxwoods vice president to reduce the engineering department workforce," Fussell said, referring to Richard Emmons, whom Foxwoods named vice president of engineering and projects in April.

"However, it is his judgment that the reduced workforce will be able to provide safe and efficient services to the casino patrons. The union and its membership are committed to providing safe and efficient services to the casino patrons and to make every effort to work through these difficult times in a constructive manner."

http://www.theday.com/article/20120719/BIZ02/307199514/1044

Foxwoods...goal...at this point is basic survival

Derby senior center boycotting Foxwoods
By Kathleen Edgecomb
Publication: The Day

Published 07/21/2012

Column quoting casino president sparks outrage

Mashantucket - Hell hath no fury like a senior citizen scorned, or something like that.
Scott Butera, president and chief executive officer of Foxwoods Resort Casino, has found himself in the middle of a firestorm of sorts over disparaging remarks he may or may not have made about his elderly casino customers to a Boston Globe columnist.
The senior center in Derby is calling for all seniors to boycott Foxwoods and wants Butera to resign. It has canceled future trips to Foxwoods and is sending its buses to Mohegan Sun casino instead.
State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, on Friday issued a statement supporting the center's action.
"I'm outraged by these disrespectful remarks and encourage Derby and all seniors to boycott Foxwoods until they receive a public apology," Gentile said.
At issue is an interview with Butera by columnist Joan Vennochi, which was published in the Globe.
"The chief executive of Foxwoods Resort Casino is also candid about customers he can do without - for example, those stereotypical busloads of senior citizens who show up with walkers and oxygen tanks,'' the May 24 column reads, although the words are not attributed to Butera.

Butera is quoted saying jokingly, "We've dropped a lot of that ... not for humane reasons," referring to the seniors.
The column goes on to say: "... those darn elders don't gamble away enough of their money to help Foxwoods reach its goal, which as this point is basic survival.'' The statement also is not attributed to Butera.

Foxwoods officials had no comment Friday night but pointed to an article in the Valley Independent Sentinel in Ansonia, in which Butera said his words were taken out of context.
"We're doing a lot of really good things here at Foxwoods,'' Butera is quoted as saying in an article Friday in the Sentinel. "We've been spending a lot of time and money turning the property around. We absolutely love and care for all our customers, certainly our senior citizen customers who have been with us the longest."
Butera told the Sentinel he never said anything disparaging about seniors and he intends to contact the head of the Derby senior center and explain his side of the story.
According to the Sentinel, the Globe stands by its column.

http://www.theday.com/article/20120721/NWS01/307219944/-1/nws 

Former Gambling Addict Speaks to Rocky Hill Coalition

Former Gambling Addict Speaks to Rocky Hill Coalition
The Rocky Hill Coalition learns the harsh lessons of gambling from Windsor Locks resident.

By Joseph Wenzel IV

Donna Zaharevitz started gambling 25 years ago and became addicted. Her addiction would lead to jail time, money problems and issues in her relationships with family and friends. Her life has been forever changed because of gambling.

Last week, she told her story at the monthly meeting for the Rocky Hill Coalition, a group of students devoted to stopping substance abuse and other dangerous activities among teenagers in town.

Zaharevitz, of Windsor Locks, played bingo casually with friends at first. Then, she was introduced to the casinos where she played slots.

"I really liked it," she said. "I got to like it. I kept going more and more."

After winning a big payout of about $27,000, she swore that she would never be back. However, the casino sent a limousine for her the next day and she became hooked.

At times, Zaharevitz would run out of money and even took blank checks from a friend whose home she was watching.

"I never had enough money to gamble," she told the audience. In total, Zaharevitz lost about $200,000 from gambling at the casino alone.

"A gambler won't tell you how much they lost, just how much they won," Zaharevitz explained.

When the police came to her house asking about the checks, Zaharevitz lied.

"When you have an addiction, drugs, alcohol, gambling, you learn to lie well and tell stories," she said. "And I was good at what I did."

Zaharevitz hit hard times. As a well-respected member of her community, she ended up in the media spotlight the subject of a week-long, front-page series in the Hartford Courant on problem gambling. She tried to kill herself three times. She served two years probation for stealing blank checks.

On the day her probation was completed, her husband of 36 years told her that he was going to divorce her. On that day, Zaharevitz went to the casino to gamble.

"Because at the casino, I could leave all my problems at the door," she said. "I did not have to worry or think about them again."

Even after entering into a gambling addiction program at the Wheeler Clinic, she and a friend would go to the casino and gamble for 24 to 48 hours straight.

"You can't just stop," she said. "This addiction really grabs ahold of you quickly."

After crashing her car on the way home from one of her all night gambling binges, she decided it was time to get help and completed the program at the Wheeler Clinic.

"I have been gambling free for 13 years," Zaharevitz said. She added that she could no longer step foot in the casinos because if she does she could be charged with criminal trespass and pay a $10,000 fine.

Zaharevitz is currently working with the National Council on Problem Gambling to get a bill passed to allocate money to help stop problem gambling. She is working to help a younger generation before they get addicted to gambling. She feels it will be easier for young adults to get addicted to gambling especially on the Internet.

Zaharevitz believes there is life after a gambling addiction "and it is much better." She told the students that you should never gamble beyond your means and do not gamble money you cannot afford to lose.


Gambling Addiction Spreading to Women

Ten years ago, Donna Zaharevitz was a successful sales executive and an active public figure in the Hartford, Conn., suburb of Windsor Locks. She and her husband had been married for 36 years, with four children and several grandchildren. She describes them as "the Beaver Cleaver family."

But winning $27,000 from a slot machine changed all that. She got hooked on gambling, and her habit led to losses in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Shows like "Celebrity Poker" feature well-known actresses scoring big, but when former model Janet Jones, the wife of Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretsky, lost tens of thousands of dollars betting on sports, it made headlines across the country.

"It was just a fun thing to do and you'd win a little bit and then lose a little bit and then all of the sudden I was going to the casino more and more," she said. "You just chase after the losses."

Women who gamble heavily are still a new phenomenon. But according to recent research, women are fast surpassing men as casino customers and make up a growing number of problem gamblers.

At one point, Zaharevitz began to steal checks from a friend she had known for 30 years. Things got so desperate that she contemplated suicide.

"Life wasn't worth living anymore," she said. "I was tired of the lies. I was tired of being deceitful. It was a pretty tough place to be."

Zaharevitz, who has now recovered from her gambling addiction, counsels other gambling addicts. Now divorced, she also works on trying to rebuild the broken relationships with her children.

"Women are by far the fastest at-risk group of problem gamblers, and it's eye-opening to me to see it's you, it's me, it's your neighbor," said Barbara Proto of the Connecticut State Lottery.

There are even gambling Web sites now that cater to women, but women don't have to go online to gamble -- they can gamble at work. This weekend's Final Four NCAA championships highlights the appetite for gambling in this country. The office pool is a spring ritual. But it's also one way a woman can get hooked on gambling.

"Office pools are a great way of entry into gambling for women," said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council of Problem Gambling. "So perhaps the woman at the office who enters the pool has no knowledge of gambling whatsoever winds up winning the pool and a couple of hundred dollars. That could be the start of some very unrealistic expectations about gambling."

Zaharevitz still remembers how great her $27,000 win felt.

"All these lights went off and they counted all this money out and I saw all of it going through this machine," she said. "I never, never would have thought I could have won this kind of money."

But she can also vividly recall the dark throes of addiction.

"All of the sudden you're in this dark hole and you don't know how to get out it," she said. "You don't know where to turn."

CT: Promoting Government Sponsored Addiction

Online Gambling Broke UConn Poker Addict — Now We Want To Make It Legal?
'I Hope The Legislators Are Prepared For The World They Are Opening Up'

Joe Turbessi couldn't put his laptop down, let alone stop the poker-playing.

So he'd go for hours at a time, hand after hand, wandering around his apartment, emptying his bank account while missing classes, friends, food and sleep as he gambled his way through the University of Connecticut.

The only thing that ran through my mind was the next poker hand,'' Turbessi explained to students in a health class at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Canaan one day this week, warning them about the danger of gambling and addiction. Turbessi, a 2002 Housatonic graduate, has been making his case against poker for the past few years, writing a book and speaking to college and high school students about his misfortune.

"Poker had my attention and I didn't have time to do anything else," Turbessi told the small health class. "It was so easy. I couldn't miss a hand. If I didn't have the computer on, I could miss my lucky break.''

For reasons explained only by greed or stupidity, dozens of states are lining up to make money off sad cases of people like Turbessi, who up to now have been patronizing off-shore online gambling websites. The rush began after the Justice Department ruled last month that the federal Wire Act of 1961 does not ban non-sports gambling over the Internet, reversing years of federal opposition.

Now, as Connecticut begins debating legalizing online gambling — and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signaled he's more than ready to consider it — Turbessi's message has taken on new urgency.

Highly addictive and solitary, Internet gambling is suddenly the new money spigot for governments that can't stop spending. Malloy and other Democratic leaders, who frequently tell us about the importance of funding all-day kindergarten and new programs for poor children, appear eager to stick it to the unfortunate to raise more government revenue.

The astonishing justification is that everyone else is going to be doing it, so we had better get on the bandwagon.

How's that for a perverted message to our young people? How about saying no to something that state government should not be foisting upon its citizens anyway?

"What everyone needs to be aware of here is that this is a government program based on pushing people deeper and deeper into personal debt and creating addiction in order to feed off of it,'' said Les Bernal, executive director of Stop Predatory Gambling, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that opposes government-sponsored gambling.

"This is the equivalent of opening up a casino or lottery retailer in every home, office or dorm room in Connecticut, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

For Connecticut, it's "an economic issue,'' said Roy Occhiogrosso, a top Malloy aide. "We have to be mindful of what other states are doing. We are competing for jobs. What [the governor] is trying to do is find a middle ground.''

We are far from middle ground here. Already our culture is overwhelmed with gambling, from slots to table games to poker to the false promises peddled by the government-run state lottery.

Adding more gambling because government needs more money to spend — or because we are surrounded by sucker gambling in other states — seems like a flimsy argument for something that will bring more pain, suffering and financial ruin to Connecticut residents. This is not what good government is about, whether it's Democrat or Republican.

"It's more dangerous than any other form of gambling outside of slot machines," said Sam Skolnik, author of the newly published book "High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America's Gambling Addiction." "The types of gamblers who are drawn to Internet gambling are younger gamblers who are more prone to gambling addiction."

Turbessi was a high school quarterback who wanted to be an actuary. He tells audiences that he wanted to find quick success without working hard. Researchers say that thrill-seeking, college-age males are the perfect mark for the predatory online gambling industry. A UConn study of a few years ago found that online players are more likely to develop gambling problems.

The lucky break Turbessi chased around the clock never arrived. At UConn, he pursued poker from online to the Indian casinos, where he perfected his addiction and continued unabated until late 2009 when he quit cold turkey and wrote a self-published book about his experience, "Into the Muck."

The muck is gone, but the stain remains. Turbessi hopes students — and maybe politicians — pay attention to his experience.

"It overwhelmed me. It broke me down,'' he said. "I hope the legislators are prepared for the world they are opening up."

20 Slot Parlors Needed For 15,000 Jobs

Beacon Hill continues to be mathematically challenged.

The Commonwealth is blessed with the experience and the statistics of others.

This from the past:


From:
Beacon Hill Testimony: Where is your proof?

We are discussing legalizing a business that depends on Addiction and Exploitation for its existence.

The Commonwealth prides itself on intelligent, well considered legislation and transparent public debate.

We hear –

CONSTRUCTION JOBS

Sands Bethlehem Casino Resort

is building a



300 room hotel whose construction will employ



350 people.



Where are the THOUSANDS of construction jobs that you promise?

Will those jobs go to Massachusetts residents?

Will they be union jobs?

Is there a guarantee?


What if those construction jobs fail to materialize?

Will the Casinos/Slot Parlors pay a penalty?

Will they escrow funds to employ the balance of those promised jobs?


Of - CASINO JOBS

How many jobs will be created?

First we were told 15,000.

Then it grew to 19,000.

Who is providing the numbers?

Who is demanding proof?

If Sands created




780 JOBS with 3,000 Slots,


you need


20 Slot Parlors to create 15,000 JOBS.

(That's almost 4 slot machines for each job.)


If each slot machine permanently removes ONE job from the local economy, that's a net loss of 2,020 jobs.


The Spectrum Gaming Report for the CT DOSR addressed 'cannibalization' indicating that 40% of the jobs created were not 'new' jobs, but actually were transfers of local private sector jobs that were lost.


Is there a plan to replace those jobs? Those are local small businesses that will disappear.

A report on the proposed casino in West Warwick, Rhode Island considered:

To what extent might a casino change the labor market?

The authors find that the opening of a large casino was associated with a 0.6 percentage point drop in the host county’s unemployment rate.

Of Atlantic City --

... [casino] jobs represented about 78 percent of the city’s private-sector jobs.2 A high proportion of casino jobs are open to low-skill workers, and on any given day, many go unfilled. Yet in 1999 the city’s poverty rate was 23.6 percent, while the national rate was 11.3 percent; unemployment stood at 12.9 percent in 2000, compared to 5.8 percent in the nation.3 The city’s poverty rate is actually a bit higher than before the beginning of legalized gambling in 1978 ….



...the low-skill service jobs available in casinos or other industries may not provide enough income to escape poverty. Residents often noted that they or someone they knew held two or three casino jobs in order to make ends meet.

Ball State University

A study of West Virginian racinos —


horse and dog racing facilities that added casino games — during 1978-2004 found that counties with such operations realized a one-time 1.1 percent increase in employment while the average salary in that area fell by as much as 2.9 percent due to the addition of a large number of low-paying jobs.

...found the average annual salary of a racino employee is less than $14,000. This was near minimum wage at the time of the study.


Of Mississippi --

Casino gambling was legalized in Mississippi back in 1990 and the first casino opened in August, 1992.




If gambling is such a great economic driver, shouldn't they be doing better than we are by now?


In 1989, 24.1% for Mississippi residents were living in poverty. [80 of 82 countries exceeded the national average for residents living in poverty.] (National average: 13.1% of Americans were living in poverty.)

In 2008, with 29 casinos, 20.8% were living in poverty. [80 of 82 counties exceeded the national average for residents living in poverty.] (National average: 13.8% of Americans were living in poverty.)




In Connecticut:

Low wage jobs have forced 'hot bedding.'

Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have recruited low wage workers from overseas because they're unable to fill the jobs locally.


The New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies in its January update report (Table 29) discloses that the weighted average wage for 75 percent of the jobs at a typical U.S. casino is
$9.60 per hour (not including tips, 2008 data).



The recent economic downturn and high unemployment was caused by Casino Capitalism and “Something for Nothing” schemes that convinced many that they could gamble their way to prosperity without hard work.

We need jobs we can be proud to work, that offer a future and provide for advancement. We don't need low wage dead end jobs slot parlors offer.

Foxwoods Scams Handicapped Patron

If you are injured or assaulted on Native American Slot Barn property, tough luck! They're "Sovereign" !

But if you're handicapped? Watch out!

Ct Consumer Complaint: Handicapped Customer Complains About Foxwoods Casino’s Treatment
By Ct Consumer
John & Joyce Duquette

After a great deal of consideration I have decided this story needs to be told. It should serve as a warning to handicapped individuals who rent, or use their own motorized scooters at Foxwoods’ Casino.

First let me say this has nothing to do with Scooter A Long, the new scooter rental company at Foxwoods, but everything to do with the casino itself. Those who work for Scooter A Long are pleasant, helpful and caring. A certain Foxwoods security supervisor could learn a great deal from them.

My husband and I arrived at Foxwoods on May 31, 2011 at around 9:30 AM. His rented scooter was brought to him as he got out of the car at the Grand Pequot Valet. He signed for it and we headed for the MGM. I left him there around 11:15 AM to get a haircut. We met around 12:30PM in the Grand Pequot Casino.

We proceeded to go to a few of the other Casinos. Around 3:30 PM a Security person approached my husband and asked his name. He replied and was then asked if he had been at the MGM in the morning. He said he had been. He was asked to accompany a Security Guard back to the MGM. Neither the first Security person nor the Security Guard told us what the problem was. When we asked they said they did not know.

Upon arriving at MGM we were directed to a Security Supervisor, whose name I don’t think was ever given. My husband was asked by her, in an accusing tone of voice, if he remembered hitting a panel on the perimeter of the casino. He said he did remember bumping one with the scooter as he tried to maneuver out of a tight area.

This Supervisor angrily stated that he had cracked the panel and he would need to pay for a replacement. She told us “Engineering” informed her it would cost $800. In her next breath she asked if he would be paying cash or with a credit card. We were stunned. The Supervisors attitude was very angry and unprofessional. She made us feel like we were criminals.

I was so upset and embarrassed; we paid the $800 plus a $43.99 fee to use our credit card and immediately left MGM. (We have since received our credit card bill. We were charged an additional fee of $33.75, by our credit card company, since MGM had put the transaction through as a Cash Advance.)

When we returned the scooter, my husband told a gentleman from Scooter A Long, what had happened. He did inform my husband that when he signed for the scooter he had accepted responsibility for any damages. This is new and was required by Foxwoods. I don’t feel his signature entitled Foxwoods to belittle and treat him like a criminal that had committed a heinous crime.

Handicapped – Beware at Foxwoods. Don’t let what should be a day of fun and freedom become one of fear, embarrassment and belittling.

Mohegan Sun downgraded on debt concerns

Conn.'s Mohegan Sun downgraded on debt concerns

HARTFORD, Conn.—Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the ratings of the Connecticut-based Mohegan tribal casino operator on debt concerns at a time of slumping consumer spending.

The New York-based ratings agency said Monday the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority has not refinanced a $675 million line of credit set to expire in March 2012 and separate debt of $250 million coming due the following month. It also cited weak consumer demand for gambling in the Northeast and the possibility of increased competition if casino gambling is legalized in Massachusetts.

Moody's downgraded the corporate family rating and probability of default rating to Caa3 from Caa2. Moody's also downgraded all long-term debt ratings to a "negative" outlook.

The authority operates the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania.

A spokeswoman for Connecticut's Mohegan Sun did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Gambling it all away

Gambling it all away

If you think that legalizing casinos in Massachusetts will create the "good" jobs that proponents claim they will, you need to read the report that Spectrum Gaming Group prepared for Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell a few years ago. It showed that 49.4% of Mohegan Sun employees were paid less than $23,504 per year (with just 13.3% earning over $36,700 per year). The numbers at Foxwoods were similar: 44.1% of Foxwoods employees earned less than $26,185 (with just 16.2% earning over $28,930 per year).

Oddly, the company that was hired to prepare the report on gambling for Massachusetts (Spectrum Gaming Group) is the SAME company that prepared the above information for Connecticut. They either just "forgot" to include the above wage information when preparing the report supporting legalized gambling in Massachusetts -- or they weren't asked to include it. They "forgot" to include other negatives, too.

Before the taxpayers of Massachusetts get stuck with the bill for failed casinos (see proposals in Nevada and New Jersey), we deserve to know the facts -- pro and con -- that can only be found in an independent, non-partisan study -- not one prepared by a company whose purpose (and profits) depend solely upon the existence of legalized gambling.

I've spoken to several of our legislators and I was shocked to learn that NOT ONE OF THEM had spent ANY time reading the studies (like the enlightening study from New Hampshire which was conducted by independent researchers -- and not by industry insiders). That study concluded that pro-gambling reports prepared by firms with a vested interest in legalized gambling significantly underestimate the real costs to cities, towns and taxpayers -- and it spells out why.

The citizens of Massachusetts deserve better. This permanent change to the laws of Massachusetts should not be made as a knee-jerk reaction to current economic conditions or for political gain (or profit). And it certainly shouldn't stick Massachusetts citizens and taxpayers with the tab while casino operators and supporters make out like bandits.

As leaders of the people of Massachusetts, our elected representatives have the responsibility to do what is right. Before putting every current and future citizen of the Commonwealth on the line for the unanticipated effects of this major change, they should thoroughly conduct and review research and demand truthful responses to unanswered questions. That's just the reasonable, and prudent, thing to do.

The decision on casinos will have an effect on State of Massachusetts and her citizens for all-time.

Will we be able to say, years down the road -- and in a future context, that our decision was the right one?

Mohegan Sun revenues continue to decline

Mohegan Sun income up 193% in 1Q


The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which runs the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut and a smaller one in Pennsylvania, triped its fiscal first quarter profits, despite lower gaming revenues.

First quarter net income was $12.9 million, up from $4.4 million in the first quarter 2009.

Mohegan cited lower expenses, including laying off 300 employees at the Connecticut casino in September, as the main reason profits grew steeply.

Mohegan Sun's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, so the first quarter for the gaming authority ended Dec. 31.

Gross revenues continued to sag for Mohegan's two casinos, as the Connecticut property in particular has seen a steady drop in gambling over the past five years. The first quarter gross revenues were $361 million, down 2.4 percent from the $370 million in the first quarter 2009.

College Students and Gambling: Into the Muck

UConn graduate faces gambling addiction
By John Sherman

Even state schools can be costly.

Joe Turbessi, a UConn graduate, has been addicted to gambling for three years and he wants everyone to know of the costs he has paid.

Turbessi's self-published "Into the Muck: How Poker Changed My Life" was released last October. The author cites the book as his therapy for overcoming addiction – explaining in detail throughout the book the stages of his addiction, and his struggle to escape it.

Turbessi was candid about where his addiction started.

"At UConn," Turbessi said, "I got taken away [by poker] while I was away from my ‘normal' family life."

"At first, I started with little home games in the dorms, which ranged anywhere between $5 and $20 to play in. All that laid the foundation for my addiction."

Turbessi believes that college students – in any typical college environment - can be particularly vulnerable to gambling, and, possibly, a subsequent addiction.

"I think college students are all trying to find their way and in doing so, they aren't always interested with their general studies and requirements that they are forced to take in their first couple years of college," Turbessi said.

"When my classes weren't captivating my attention, poker was all around me. It was so easy to take part in at any time, especially on campus."

Statistics prove Turbessi right. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health, along with the Annenberg Public Policy Center, shows a 600 percent increase in gambling in post-secondary institutions during a four-year study from 2001 to 2005. More and more college students are turning to gambling every year.

But those statistics do not take into account an additional concern specific to Connecticut students: nearby casinos.

"The casinos are so close in proximity to the campus and it is so easy to end up there at one point or another" said the UConn alum.

Since overcoming his addiction, Turbessi has made it his goal to spread awareness about problem gambling. He has worked with both the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling and the National Council on Problem Gambling by speaking about his personal journey in hopes gamblers will ante up a little more cautiously.

Turbessi is not anti-gambling. He does, however, have many concerns – which he addresses in his book – about the way gambling is portrayed in the media.

"ESPN has been guilty numerous times of building up the poker scene to be larger than life, and making it seem easy to break into," Turbessi said. "I thought that because I was a math major and understood the game, there was no reason why I couldn't be one of those guys who dropped out of school and made poker their life."

ESPN has offered expanded coverage of The World Series of Poker since 2003.

"Into the Muck" has received mostly good press, especially from those who are familiar with problem gambling. The book is a must-read for some, as it has recently become required reading for some college students at UMass - Amherst.

In promotion of his book, and in promotion of his cause, Turbessi will be speaking at Southern Connecticut State University and Eastern Connecticut State University during National Problem Gambling Awareness Week, which will be held from March 6 -11.

Foxwoods can't pay bills, but funds 'elders'

Tribe will still help its older members
By Brian Hallenbeck

Publication: The Day

Mashantuckets to provide up to $50,000 a year for needy 'elders'

Mashantucket - Anticipating the end of monthly distributions of gaming profits to tribal members, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council late last year enacted a law to protect the tribe's older, needy members.

The law provides for up to $50,000 a year in financial assistance for "elders," who are defined for the purposes of the law as those 60 and older as well as those who were at least 55 as of Dec. 31, 2010. The assistance was to begin Jan. 1, the law states.

It's estimated that about 80 members of the 850-member tribe are at least 55 years old.

Under the new law, elders are eligible to receive annual assistance equal to a "standard of need," with the amount of the assistance reduced by "offset income" the elder receives in excess of $25,000.

The law defines offset income as the sum of wages, salaries, tips and other taxable income as well as any other tribal payments. Those 70 and older are exempt from the income limitations.

The tribal council has established an initial standard of need, an amount that will be adjusted annually in accordance with changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, according to the new law, which is posted online as part of the 2010supplement to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Laws. Tribal officials did not respond to requests to discuss the new law.

While the elders assistance law does not specify the amount of the initial standard of need, tribal sources indicate it has been set at $50,000. As an example, if an elder's offset income totals $30,000, the first $25,000 of which doesn't count in calculating the assistance, the elder would be eligible for payments totaling $45,000($50,000 minus $5,000), the sources said.

The elders assistance law is a response to the tribal council's decision months ago to end monthly distributions to adult tribal members at the end of 2010. The distributions, known as stipends or "incentive" payments, were made through December. According to sources, the payments had shrunk in recent years but still averaged between $90,000 and $120,000 a year as recently as mid-2009.

Councilors, in announcing the payments would cease, said the move was necessitated by "the financial challenges the Tribe has been facing over the past few years."

The tribe, hampered by the recession's effect on revenues at its Foxwoods Resort Casino, defaulted last year on a $700 million revolving bank loan and has also defaulted on several bond interest payments. It has been trying to restructure more than $2 billion worth of debt for more than a year.

According to the online posting of tribal laws, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Elders Financial Assistance Law was enacted Oct. 28 through a tribal council resolution.

"It is the policy of the Tribe to assure the essential welfare of its members by providing financial assistance to those Elders in need," the law states.

It could not be determined what steps the tribe has taken to assist younger adult tribal members, many of whom relied on the monthly distributions as their sole source of income. The roughly 9,000 employees at Foxwoods include more than 100 tribal members, according to tribal sources. Other tribal members work for tribal government.

The 2010 supplement to the tribal laws also lists, among other things, an occupational safety and health law enacted last March and a whistle-blower law, enacted in November, that protects from reprisal or fear of reprisal tribal officials and employees who disclose illegalities or improprieties.

Foxwoods’ Dec. slot take up, Mohegan down

Foxwoods’ Dec. slot take up, Mohegan down

Although still trailing in overall revenue, Foxwoods resort casino has consistently bested rival Mohegan Sun in improving its year-over-year slot win in fiscal 2011 and showed more improvement in December.

Foxwoods reported... a 1.2 percent increase from December 2009.

Mohegan Sun for December posted ... a 6.5 percent decrease from December 2009. With the exception of July, Mohegan has posted monthly losses in slot revenue compared to 2009. July held a 1.7 percent increase over July 2009 for Mohegan Sun, but the casino benefitted from a fifth Saturday in that month.

Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are still down in revenue compared to fiscal 2010, mirroring a five-year trend for Mohegan Sun and a 10-year trend for Foxwoods. Compared to last fiscal year, Foxwoods collection of $331.2 million in slot win is down 1.0 percent; while Mohegan Sun's collection of $364.2 million in slot win is down 3.4 percent.

Mohegan Sun Faux Pas Exposes Business Model

From our friends at Stop Predatory Gambling:




Declining revenues, market saturation and debt burden have combined with the economy to make Mohegan Sun pathetically desperate.

'Sex It Up' suggestion played down at Mohegan Sun casino

CEO says document lists ideas, doesn't represent policy

Mohegan - Mohegan Sun isn't likely to rival Las Vegas' claim to the Sin City moniker anytime soon - its internal communiqués notwithstanding.

A document containing the suggestion that the Sun ought to "Sex It Up" is merely a compilation of ideas tossed out during brainstorming sessions among managers, the casino's chief executive officer said Wednesday.

"It's not a policy; it's nothing more than a bunch of ideas," Mitchell Etess said of the 10-page document titled "Preserve the Core, Stimulate Progress."

The document, which contains the phrase "excitement and entertainment needs to be increased on casino floor (Sex It Up)," was passed out at a recent meeting of about 200 casino managers and was not intended for wider distribution, Etess said.

But, apparently, it found its way into the hands "of someone who didn't understand what it was," he said, leading to a television news report on its existence.

Etess sought to explain what he called "those seven letters" in Sex It Up.

"That's not referring to go-go dancers or sexy outfits," he said. "It's referring to excitement, energy, contemporariness."

Sexing it up, Etess allowed, is not in the cards for Mohegan Sun.

"We don't have the kind of edge like The Palms in Las Vegas or even The Borgata (in Atlantic City)," he said. "Our image has evolved over time, and it has a lot to do with the history and culture of the (Mohegan) tribe. … That (edge) didn't end up getting any traction."

The 10-page document, which also contains such suggestions as paging celebrities on the premises, announcing jackpot winners and adjusting airflows, grew out of regular committee meetings, Etess said.

"In a brainstorming session, no idea is stupid," he said. "You write down everything that anybody says."

Etess said the "Sex It Up" suggestion has generated no official complaints from employees. He said the casino's human resources department has received no feedback about it.

"Within our culture, we would not adopt any idea that would create discomfort for any of our employees," he said.

Worst November for CT Casinos

CT’s two casinos see Nov. revenues decline

... both Connecticut casinos are back to declining revenues, posting their worst November in a decade.


Foxwoods slot revenue: 7.8 percent decrease compared to November 2009. It was the worst November for Foxwoods since 1996, when there were 2,000 fewer slot machines.


Mohegan Sun slot revenue: 6.7 percent decrease compared to November 2009. It was the worst November for Mohegan since 2000 when there were 3,500 fewer slot machines.

Moody's Lowers Mohegan To Highly Speculative

Some Palmer, MA residents still have fantasies of a Destination Slot Barn regardless of the reality befalling Mohegan Sun, ever-eager pursuer.




Moody's Lowers Mohegan Tribal Authority To Highly Speculative

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Moody's Investors Service moved the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority to highly speculative territory, saying the operator of casinos could find it difficult to refinance significant debt maturities without some impairment to bondholders.

Mohegan Sun: Ran out of gambling addicts

If you construct your business model based on creating 'gamblers' and based on creating 'gambling addicts' of the surrounding population, don't you eventually 'run out'? How many gullible people can you find? Who thought the supply was inexhaustible?

Capital markets keep deluding themselves about 'market saturation,' competition and the recession. Maybe the capital markets are the gullible for allowing Sovereign Casinos to accumulate so much debt.

Maybe those blinded by Fools' Gold in Palmer, MA are the gullilble. Or Beacon Hill?

Mohegan Sun credit ratings lowered over financial woes

Casino still examining refinancing options, gaming authority says

Moody's Investors Service downgraded its bond ratings Tuesday on the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority and raised doubt about whether the authority can avoid a financial restructuring.

The agency lowered its corporate and probability-of-default ratings on the authority from "B3" to "Caa2," a designation reserved for high-risk debt.

The Moody's downgrade followed similar action last week by Standard & Poor's, another credit-rating agency, which lowered its rating on the authority from "B" to "CCC."

The gaming authority operates the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Leo Chupaska, the authority's chief financial officer, said the downgrades were not unexpected.

"We thought it would happen," he said. "Since we announced we're working with Blackstone (a major corporate advisory firm), there's been a lot of speculation about how we're going to deal with our (debt) maturities. Right now, we're in a refinancing mode. We haven't talked about restructuring. We really haven't said anything. We're still talking about refinancing."

In a refinancing, a debtor typically negotiates better loan terms, including extending maturity dates, while a restructuring often involves a creditor receiving less money than it is owed.

In a Nov. 12 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the authority announced that Blackstone Advisory Partners LP was providing help with "strategic planning and analysis in connection with its business and financial goals, including operational improvements, contemplated hotel projects and … bank and bond maturities."

Authority executives declined to elaborate on Blackstone's involvement during a Nov. 23 conference call with investors and gaming industry analysts.

During the call, Mitchell Etess, chief executive officer of the authority and of Mohegan Sun, announced that as of Jan. 1 he will turn over responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the casino to Jeffrey Hartmann, executive vice president and chief operating officer, who will succeed him as CEO of the casino. Etess said he will concentrate on developing new business opportunities as CEO of the authority.

MTGA executives also discussed the authority's financial results for the quarter and fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, reporting a net loss of $26.3 million for the quarter and a profit of $9.7 million for the fiscal year.

Standard & Poor's, which announced its ratings downgrade the day after the call, noted that the gaming authority also reported a 6.5 percent decline in adjusted EBITDA - earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization - for the fiscal year.

"We had previously cited our expectation that EBITDA would be relatively flat in fiscal 2010," Standard & Poor's said. The agency also placed the gaming authority on "CreditWatch" with negative implications.

"The ratings downgrade and CreditWatch listing reflect weaker-than-expected operating performance in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2010, in addition to substantial refinancing needs beginning in 2012, when MTGA's $675 million bank credit facility and $250 million senior subordinated notes mature," Melissa Long, a Standard & Poor's credit analyst, said in a statement.

Moody's lowered its rating on each of six layers of the authority's outstanding bonds. In announcing the downgrades late Tuesday afternoon, it said the authority could have trouble refinancing upcoming maturities "without some impairment to bondholders given its high leverage … limited near-term growth prospects for Mohegan Sun Casino, the likely continuation of weak consumer gaming demand trends in the Northeastern U.S., and the strong possibility of gaming in Massachusetts."

Moody's said its "negative ratings outlook" for the authority reflects the short time frame in which MTGA has to address "a significant capital structure issue." If the authority is unable to refinance by March 2011, its $675 million revolving bank loan will become due, Moody's said. The same holds true for the authority's $250 million senior subordinated notes if they are not refinanced by April 2011.

Moody's had placed the authority on review for a possible downgrade in September, after layoffs of hundreds of Mohegan Sun employees. Both rating agencies warned that they could lower their ratings further if the authority proceeds with a restructuring plan that results in bondholders being offered less than they are owed.

Mohegan Sun's neighboring competitor, Foxwoods Resort Casino, has been seeking to restructure more than $2 billion in debt for more than a year. It has defaulted on a $700 million revolving bank loan and a series of bond interest payments.

Casinos across the country have faced financial difficulties brought on by the recession, which has curtailed gamblers' spending and, consequently, casino revenues.

Head-butting at Foxwoods

Gamblers brawl over slot machine, one bites the other

Ledyard - A Massachusetts man allegedly bit a Manchester man on the nose early Saturday during an argument over a $100 slot machine in the high-stakes gaming area of MGM Grand at Foxwoods, police said.

The argument started about 1:15 a.m. Saturday when John I. Whittaker, 50, of Manchester, was playing two slot machines at once and 50-year-old Thomas C. McDonald, of Hanover, Mass., took over one of the machines, according to the Casino Unit of the state police.

Whittaker allegedly head-butted McDonald, who in turn bit Whittaker on the nose. Whittaker was treated at the scene for the bite wound and charged with second-degree breach of peace, police said.

McDonald was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace.



Hanover man charged with biting in dispute over a slot machine


A 50-year-old man from Hanover is back home after posting $500 bail following his arrest on charges he bit another man's nose in a fight over a $100 slot machine at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

The Day of New London reports that Thomas C. McDonald took over one of two slot machines that John I. Whittaker, 50, of Manchester,Conn., was using early Saturday morning.

Whittaker allegedly head-butted McDonald and McDonald bit Whittaker.

Whittaker was charged with second-degree breach of peace and McDonald was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace.

Gambling Ring Defrauded Casino

Four suspects in casino cheating ring arraigned in New London

New London, Conn. — Four Korean nationals who are suspects in an international casino cheating syndicate and arrested by state police detectives at Foxwoods Resort Casino were arraigned today in a New London courtroom.

Two of the four, 60-year-old Young Su Gy and 34-year-old Wookyung Kim, were charged at the casino on Monday with numerous felonies as part of a three-month long cheating investigation. Authorities said the cheating at baccarat was achieved with the use of an electronic device and occurred on numerous dates between Sept. 8 ad Oct. 20.

State Prosecutor Peter McShane said suspects in the scheme to defraud the casino stole between $750,000 and $1 million.

Judge Kevin McMahon stepped out from behind his bench today to get closer to a phone where a Korean interpreter translated the court proceedings over a speaker. He said the two are implicated in crimes in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and elsewhere outside the United States. Gy, he said, is accused of being the ringleader of the group and is accused of stealing $447,000 alone from Foxwoods. He is charged with 16 counts cheating, 16 counts possession of a cheating device, seven counts first-degree larceny and three counts third-degree larceny.

Kim, facing numerous conspiracy charges, is accused of stealing more than $83,000 from Foxwoods.

Also in court today were Ingyu Park, 55, and Sun Jang, 63, Koreans who were picked up by state police detectives and held on a $500,000 bond on a felony warrant out of New Jersey. They are being held as fugitives from justice. Their arrest was linked to the cheating investigation and they are accused of cheating on multiple occasions at a mini-baccarat table at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

Connecticut state police said the cheating investigation was conducted by state police casino unit detectives, Foxwoods Office of the Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security, Foxwoods surveillance and New Jersey state police casino unit.



State's Attorney: Gambling Ring Defrauded Casino
2 Appear In New London Superior Court

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. --
Members of an accused gambling ring have been charged with using tactics to defraud Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Investigators said the scope of the case may reach far beyond Connecticut.

New London court officials said up to $1 million in cash was taken by the group.

During Wednesday’s arraignment, a New London judge had to arrange for a Korean interpreter to be sworn in over the phone to arraign two of the four suspects.

Two others were indicted by Atlantic City authorities.

Federal agents also were in court Wednesday, and said the case could be the tip of the iceberg, stretching to casinos across the country and abroad.

Gy Young Su, 60, of Korea, appeared in court Wednesday, and according to the State’s Attorney’s Office, is considered to be the leader in an organized effort to defraud Foxwoods Resort Casino of up to $1 million.

Court authorities said Foxwoods is providing video surveillance evidence, showing Su and other associates using an electronic device slipped up a sleeve in playing a table game called Minibacc.

The state’s attorney said the scheme was to defraud the casino of $750,000 to $1 million. Su, who has no local ties, had his bond set at $500,000.

Also arraigned Wednesday was 34-year-old Wookyung Kim, also from Korea. Authorities said Kim has numerous prior felony gaming charges and that she allegedly took nearly $84,000 from Foxwoods.

The assistant state’s attorney said the federal investigation is ongoing and that two others are being extradited to Atlantic City to face similar gaming theft charges there.

Because of the ongoing investigation, warrants in the case have been sealed.

The suspects are due back in court on Monday.

Grandiose dreams defy reality

Mohegan rolls 4Q loss on layoffs, project halt

The Mohegan Sun, one of Connecticut's two tribal casinos, landed in the red in the fiscal fourth quarter, the result of millions of dollars in layoff costs and expenses tied to its shelved casino expansion project.

The casino's operator, Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, reported Tuesday a loss for the three months ended Sept. 30 of $26.3 million. That compares to a $66.4 million profit in its fourth quarter in 2009.

Mohegan's revenues for the quarter were $408.6 million, a 3 percent increase from $396.7 million the same period last year.

For the year, Mohegan Sun eked out a $9.7 million profit, down 92 percent from income of $119.3 million in fiscal 2009.

Revenues for the year were $1.54 billion, a 2 percent drop from $1.57 billion last year.

The quarterly loss stemmed primarily from a $58.1 million impairment charge on Mohegan's halted expansion, known as Project Horizon.

Begun in 2007 with plans to add a 1,000-room hotel, a new casino and other amenities, work was suspended a year later after the recession bit hard into casino revenues.

In a statement Tuesday, the tribal authority said it didn't know when, if ever, Project Horizon will resume.

The authority also paid $9.9 million in severance charges during the fourth quarter as it eliminated 475 positions, the first layoffs in the casino's history. Over the course of the next fiscal year, the authority estimates the savings from the layoffs will be $30 million.

Despite the Project Horizon impairment charge, the suspension of that project kept the authority from sinking further into debt during the recession.

Mohegan Sun's total debt is $1.64 billion. While significant, it is smaller than rival Foxwoods resort casino's estimated $2 billion debt, resulting from its completed expansion project.

Impacted Regions

The refusal of Beacon Hill to conduct an Independent Cost Benefit Analysis conceals the impacts to entire regions, not simply of DIUs caused by 24/7/365 free alcohol and increased auto accidents, but numerous other issues, many of which were considered on the Spectrum Gaming Report prepared for the CT DOSR that can be found here: United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts.

Drunken Driving Fatalities and Accidents Increase: Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have at least 50% more OUI arrests than any other State Police troop in CT. Drunken driving related fatalities almost doubled in the area during 2009 vs. 2008 because the casino revenue to the state decreased leading to budget cuts in police force. Before “Happy Hours” were outlawed in Massachusetts in 1984, there were 411 drunken driving related fatalities compared to only 151 in 2008. Casinos will have Happy Hours 24/7/365!!!


This is reminiscent of some of those impacts:

Ickler: A gambling lesson from Connecticut

The folks in Milford and surrounding communities who want to gamble on a resort casino as the answer to their budget woes would be wise to emulate the Warren Casino Study Committee.

In case you haven't heard of it, Warren is a small town just off the Mass. Pike in central Massachusetts. Like Milford, Warren is being considered as a resort casino site. In early May, the Casino Study Committee held an open forum. Invited speakers were Bill Haase, former Ledyard, Conn., town planner; Michael Finkelstein, Ledyard executive police officer, and Marcia Vlaun, Montville, Conn., planning director.

The forum was moderated by Megan Diprete and Vera Kolias from the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission. The following information comes from a story in the Ware River News, which sent a correspondent to cover the session.

It's no surprise that Haase reported an increase in traffic when Foxwoods opened. What is surprising is the enormity of the increase. Traffic studies predicted traffic that would equal that of a major shopping mall. Instead, according to Haase, "about everybody in southern New England showed up." Traffic was backed up into neighboring towns and the traffic engineer was heard saying "Oh, my God" over and over again.

Traffic on the main route in Ledyard increased by 249 percent between 1988 and 1996. Local roads have also been affected because people who know the area use them to get to the casino.

Haase warned the Warren group about deals done in secrecy. The state of Connecticut dealt with the Mashantucket Tribe in secret and the result was money for the state but none for the host communities. "There are no special monetary rewards that the host communities get just for being host communities," Haase said.

Vlaun also stressed the importance of the local communities getting involved from the first roll of the dice. "If there is one point I want to drive home to you tonight, it's that everyone in this situation is going to act in their own self interest. The state is going to act in its own interest. The developer will do the same. It's up to you as a community to act in your own self interest, because no one is going to do it for you."

Are you listening, Milford, Hopedale, Holliston, Mendon, Bellingham and Medway?

Vlaun's warning didn't end there. "Once the money becomes politicized, you'll hear a giant sucking sound out of these resorts, up to your state capital, where the money is then reallocated to your urban centers. I am a host community, and my town gets less in aid than cities and towns in the western part of Connecticut. Towns that aren't even impacted by the casinos get more than our towns get."

She said the "biggest lesson learned" is that "the money is not going to flow to you unless you aggressively lobby for it and have a presence at your state capital because there are so many other powerful forces that are going to out-do you."

Haase also pointed out that casinos aren't recession-proof no matter what they say about jobs (Foxwoods laid off 1,200 last year) and that local business places such as restaurants and retail stores will not benefit from a casino. Casinos are one-stop shopping centers with restaurants, stores and gaming all under one giant roof.

Vlaun said that before the opening of Mohegan Sun, Montville police received approximately 7,500 calls a year. That number is now 15,000 per year. Finkelstein said Ledyard has upped the size of its police force from 16 to 24 to meet the demand there.

It's obvious from these comments that when a casino comes to town the odds are against the host unless local officials are watching every turn of the card. Those of us in neighboring towns should insist that our officials also get involved in the Milford casino debate before the dice are rolled and traffic jams and increased costs make losers of us all.