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Are Slot
Machine Casinos on the Horizon?
The same
old comment keeps coming up – that horse
racing will die without the slot
machines. However, what is the real
motivation behind the statement – is it
to save the horses or just to bring in
slot machines anyway possible? That is a
question that Massachusetts residents
are pondering these days with their
legislature talking about legalizing
slot machines to “save” the horse racing
industry.
Rep. David Flynn, after a racing
simulcast bill passed, said that racing
will not survive unless they have the
slot machines. Then why don’t they just
let the racing industry die off? Why
keep supporting horse and dog racing if
it has already proven that it cannot
save itself? Many see the real reasoning
behind the “save the tracks” mentality –
it is to use the tracks to bring in slot
machines, then phase out the non-working
part of the equation and whalah! you
have slot machines and casinos!
Flynn has been working hard to save the
tracks, even pushing through the
simulcasting bill, but low and behold –
he has a slot machine bill coming up as
well. This is simply his way of getting
slot machines legalized by piggy backing
on the racing industry. The tribes have
wanted Massachusetts to open its doors
to slot machines and casinos for years –
as they want to build their own. The
politicians say that if the state
doesn’t have slot machines they cannot
compete with their neighbors – and they
say they are the only way for the
government to balance their budget – so
the new governor had better get on
board.
The only people who really have a stake
in this are the people who work at the
track day in and day out. If the track
dies, they lose their jobs. They are
counting on the slot machines, or
anything else for that matter, that
might keep the track alive. For everyone
else, if the track dies, they lose out
on slot machine revenue. It’s not
exactly the same thing.
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