Last Thursday the Massachusetts Governor presented to lawmakers his bill to bring casino gambling to the state. The key opponent to Governor Deval Patrick’s bill is House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and Patrick needs a minimum 81 votes for House approval. Next month national casino experts are to address the House at a one-day symposium. Full hearings are not expected until January at the earliest.

Under the proposed legislation filed last week a Gaming Control Authority composed of seven members would be established. The suggested three casino licences would not necessarily be awarded to the highest bidders but evaluated on a range of criteria, such as the licence fee offered by applicants, the overall economic benefit to the state and proposed infrastructure improvements.

According to the Governor’s press office, a process that would allow eligible applicants to bid against each other would ensure that only people committed and able to develop a resort casino would be granted a casino licence. The bill does not outline any advantage that the two Indian tribes in Massachusetts could receive for waiving all rights under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. That will be determined by the Gaming Authority.

Congressman Barney Frank, an outspoken critic of the US attempts to ban online gambling, has stated that Massachusetts should open its doors to casinos and that he would like to see one in his own district of Southeastern Massachusetts. Adding that casino gambling should be allowed because people enjoy it, Frank says that those better off should not deny casino jobs to people less well off in an area where many manufacturing jobs have disappeared. (E-10.16.07)

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