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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