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Anti-casino groups make headway to repeal Mass. gambling law

The debate over Massachusetts’s gambling law is heating up as anti-casino groups, bolstered by successes in defeating casino deals in East Boston and Palmer, work to collect 70,000 signatures by Nov. 20 to repeal the Commonwealth’s gambling law.

“When I started looking into the problems that come along with casinos, I realized that there really was little good,” said John Ribeiro, chairman of Repeal the Casino Deal. “Every community where a casino has been implemented, crime has gone up, property values have gone down, and small business have been negatively impacted.”

On Nov. 22, 2011, Massachusetts passed the Expanded Gaming Act legalizing casino and slots gambling in the Commonwealth. Since then, casino proposals have sprung up in towns all over Massachusetts. Although East Boston, Palmer and Millbury rejected the casino proposals for their respective communities on Nov. 5, the casinos are pushing forward to see if they could submit alternative plans, causing resistance among some residents in Massachusetts.

Ribeiro said he could not tell how close the group is to reaching their goal, but he is confident he can gain 70,000 signatures bySunday.

After they submit their petition, the Supreme Judicial Court must approve the ballot question in order for their proposal to move forward.

Michael Kaplan, president of Citizens for Milford’s Future, a pro-casino group in Milford, said the casino is beneficial in towns where residents are looking for jobs and community improvements.

“Those who are doing very well don’t want the casino here,” he said. “They don’t see the benefit to it. Those who aren’t doing very well or are looking to improve their position for their family are very much in favor of it, whether it is a tax reduction or a job or more money to the community to create better schools. These things are benefits from a casino.”

Ribeiro said adding casinos will affect everyone in Massachusetts regardless of whether the casinos are in their town.

“East Boston issued a decisive rejection of the Suffolk Downs casino bid last week, but yet the proposal moves forward, which is in direct contradiction to the law and the regulations of the gaming commission,” he said. “This goes to show that there’s only one way to stop this from spreading, and that is to end casino gambling in the state.”

Sambuddha Ghosh, professor of economics at Boston University, said the financial benefits of adding casinos to certain towns often outweigh the costs.

“It’s going to bring in revenue,” he said. “Especially for specific regions, this is going to create a lot of needed employment. One of the things we have to consider is that maybe the places where they are deciding to put casinos are places that need more employment, and certainly bringing business in is going to do that.”

Robiero said at the very least, all residents of Massachusetts should be able to vote on this issue because it will affect everyone.

“Signing the petition does not necessarily have to signal whether you’re for or against casino gambling,” he said. “What it does do, is allow the people of Massachusetts to vote on it, which we haven’t had the opportunity to do yet. We need to have a full open and honest dialogue and debate on the issue and allow the entire state to vote on it.”

Several residents said bringing in more revenue is more important than other possible consequences, considering the state of the economy.

“I live near a possible casino sight and they’re already offering people in that neighborhood jobs,” said Marc Cohen, 44, of Winthrop. “This neighborhood is one with a lot of minorities, a lot of unemployment, so it’s needed. A casino generates so much, especially since they will be pulling their workers from the local community. In addition, many high school students are in support of the casinos because it provides them with jobs right out of school.”

Robert Flynn, 35, of Beacon Hill, said casinos do not benefit communities in any way.

“When they built Atlantic City, everyone said it was going to be the greatest place on earth, and it’s a dump,” he said. “Everyone says it brings money and jobs, and it does, but it’s not going to solve anything. They shouldn’t expect a casino to recoup the debt or improve the town at all.” Antonia James, 22, of Allston, said casinos have a negative stigma that is not longer true.

“I’m from a town with a casino and there weren’t huge crime rates,” he said. “There’s this idea that they attract this certain type of people that you don’t really want hanging around a residential town, but that’s not true. They attract tourists and people that have money to spend.”

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  3. How can I sign this petition?