The next wave of decisions regarding the construction of the Bay State’s first casinos may be pushed back until late May, said representatives from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in a public meeting Tuesday.
In the meantime, they said, the Commission will reach out to the Massachusetts communities that will be directly affected by the casinos.
The Commission will invite the public to participate in its daylong educational training session on May 3 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which will feature gaming experts from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, said Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby.
Crosby said the session will “bring us up to speed on a lot of the basics,” such as the law enforcement and licensing processes involved with regulating casinos as the Commission seeks to implement the gaming law signed by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in fall 2011.
The law will allow up to three casinos and a slots parlor to be built in the Commonwealth.
“Rather than have commissioners fly out . . . we thought it makes sense to have the experts come talk to us,” Crosby said.
Commissioner James McHugh, former associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court, said community leaders already have questions on how their communities will be affected and the Commission needs to figure out how to provide them with answers.
These people in potential host communities “just don’t have any idea on how to approach these issues,” said Commissioner Bruce Stebbins, business development administrator for Springfield.
“Someone needs to reach out and help these people,” Stebbins said. “Someone needs to do this and do this soon.”
In response to the concern, McHugh said without compromising their roles as decision-makers, the commissioners themselves can answer questions posed by communities.
He proposed that the state provide information on its website, perhaps through a Frequently Asked Questions page.
The Commission announced it will delay the takeover of the State Racing Commission and the subsequent regulation of horse racing.
None of the commissioners is an expert in racing, Crosby said, adding that he and the other commissioners will take over by the May 20 deadline if necessary.
In the meantime, he said, the postponement of the takeover is the preferred way to go.
“We all express some concern that if we take this on it’s going to seriously delay our ability to do the rest of our work,” he said.
This work includes solving legal, policy and law enforcement issues.
“We don’t think that postponing this hurts anybody,” Crosby said, adding that the Commission is already under pressure to complete their main job – acquiring licensing for casinos within the next year or so.
The Commission is also trying to institute an administrative hiring policy.
Four of the five full-time commissioners present at the meeting agreed that hiring is the most significant decision they will make.
The Commission is currently recruiting for such positions as executive director, communications director, human resources representatives and clerical workers, Crosby said, adding that it places a high priority on finding diverse candidates for all positions.
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