Gambling News by House of Odds

After another year of dashed hopes in the Legislature, proponents of
expanded gambling were looking forward to the new year. Shortly after
Election Day, Governor-elect Deval Patrick promised to keep an open mind
about gambling. Now, Patrick has chosen the fiercest opponent of slot
machines in the House of Representatives as his chief economic development
adviser. This has created uncertainty among gambling proponents, who wonder
what the appointment might mean. Yesterday, state Representative Daniel E.
Bosley said that he is still strongly opposed to gambling, and that he will
express his views to Patrick. However, he said the issue did not come up
during his conversations with Patrick when they talked about Bosley joining
the incoming administration, and that Patrick has "got to keep an open mind"
on the subject and come to his own conclusion. "He has to listen to the
arguments and explore the issues and then figure it out on his own," Bosley
said, adding that it was not clear whether the issue of expanded gambling
would be part of his responsibilities. So far, in Massachusetts, discussion
of widened gambling has generally involved slot machines rather than
casinos. If Patrick took a strong stance in favor of expanded gambling, the
issue might have a better chance of prevailing in the Legislature, where
gambling bills have died in years past. But it is not clear how much
influence even the incoming governor would wield. A bill to legalize slots
cleared the Senate a year ago but lost by a large margin in the House last
spring amid opposition from Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.
Patrick voiced serious reservations about expanded gambling during his
campaign, citing concerns about gambling addiction and the effect it could
have on the state lottery. But Patrick, who was quoted as saying in the
Boston Herald he had played the slots with his mother at Foxwoods, also said
that he has spent more time with gambling opponents than gambling
proponents, and that he has promised to do more homework on the issue. Louis
Ciarlone, the president and business manager of Local 123 of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents about 200
workers at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, said legalizing slot machines could
help Patrick pay for improvements in public safety and education, and help
to provide more aid to cities and towns.

A report commissioned by the treasurer's office last year said Massachusetts
could pull in almost $500 million by legalizing slots at the state's four
racetracks.

Patrick will have plenty of pro-gambling voices to hear. Lieutenant
Governor-elect Timothy P. Murray strongly supported this year's gambling
bill, which would have brought 8,000 machines to the state's four
racetracks, as a way of providing more local aid to cities and towns.

And Robert J. Haynes -- president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, which worked
hard for Patrick's campaign last fall -- supports slot machines because of
their potential to create jobs and to increase state revenue.

Haynes said yesterday, however, that he was thrilled with Patrick's
selection of Bosley as his economic development adviser.

He said it would be parochial to assume that Patrick's appointment of Bosley
signaled anything about Patrick's view on gambling, which he said amounted
to "a small piece" of economic development.

Thomas G. Ambrosino , the mayor of Revere and a supporter of slot machines,
said his first reaction to the news of Bosley's appointment was that "it
doesn't bode well for the prospects of expanded gaming."