The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will host dual forums to discuss the state of the thoroughbred horse industry as well as responsible gaming, the former being held tomorrow and the latter on October 28. Surely the idea behind both events is to better inform the Greater Boston area of how to not gamble and game in excess and to bolster its stance on brining casinos to the Metro Region.
Tensions are running high as far as betting is concerned. And rightfully so, as both sides of the debate have valid points and necessary concerns. A pro-gaming rally in Revere displayed just how heated things are becoming during this chilly October, with a member of the opposition punching the head of the union that represents Suffolk’s pari-mutuel clerks square in the face.
“He struck me twice and then threatened to kill me,” Louis Ciarlone, the victim, said in a statement. “His attack was completely unprovoked and his threats have me concerned about my safety and the safety of my family.”
The 60-year old subsequently suffered a broken nose.
Obviously, this is the kind of thing the Gaming Commission is hoping to avoid, but the idea of gaming and casinos in the Bay State is polarizing. Sure it’ll create jobs, toss some money back into the State, and add another industry to the burgeoning commercial prowess of Massachusetts.
But with the pros come the cons.
Will it really strengthen the state’s revenue stream? What kind of crowd and reputation will it tack on to us? Who will get these jobs? What about traffic?
Widespread sentiment could favor one way or the other, but one thing that’s all but certain is that Massachusetts will boast a next-generation facility, dedicated to gaming in one form or another.
Now we just all have to get along.
According to the Gaming Commission, tomorrow’s forum will focus on a “policy discussion on matters related to Massachusetts such as the Race Horse Development Fund, the timing of the issuance of expanded gaming licenses and practical effects on horse racing and the effects of the state pari-mutuel tax reporting and withholding requirements.”
The October 28 forum on responsible gaming will be more of a general overview, with commissioners joined by experts like Harvard Medical School Associate, professor, and Cambridge Health Alliance Director Dr. Howard Shaffer joining the fray. “Information and research on elements and characteristics of a responsible gaming program” will be the topic of contention, says the Commission.
Hopefully any blows dealt by either party at both forums will be of the verbal variety and not the physical. Still, it’s an important lesson that all perspectives ought to be respected as a hot-button topic like this is sure to strike widespread personal chords.
Suffolk Downs CEO Chip Tuttle told the Boston Herald, “We’ve been striving over the last several years to ensure that we respect all points of view in this discussion and that all of our representatives engage in a civil dialogue. I’m concerned about the safety of our employees and volunteers.”
I’m optimistic that both forums will address those issues.
