Massachusetts Looks To Pennsylvania For Casino Gambling Model

In the state of Massachusetts, Governor Duval Patrick ran for office largely on a platform that included expanding gambling, but he was shown early in his term that it would not be as easy as he thought. His first gambling proposal was shot down by legislators.

Patrick went back to the drawing board shortly after that defeat and during that time he picked up some support from other lawmakers. Now, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill are joining forces to revisit the gambling issue.

The lawmakers are pointing directly to the state of Pennsylvania as a model for how casino gambling can help a state budget. In Pennsylvania, almost $1 billion was made for the state government from slot halls.

They were not big, elaborate casinos that are getting the job done. Instead, slot parlors based on the idea of cramming as many people as possible inside have become the norm. Whatever the model, the results cannot be denied.

At a time when people all across the US are losing their jobs, slot gambling in Pennsylvania has created over 6,000 permanent employment opportunities. That is even higher than in places like Las Vegas, where gambling is down and employees are being laid off.

Whether or not the same success can be had in Massachusetts is not even a thought in the lawmakers' minds. The next step is convincing their fellow politicians minds, and then, the minds of voters in the state.

March 16, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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