CASINO ISSUES

The Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes have put off their casino proposal until next year, until after the next election, for consideration by the next governor. An opposition group called Casinos No! already has formed with this future in mind.

Clearly, both sides intend to make casino gambling an important issue in the coming primaries and general elections. It should be. It also is important that candidates for governor fully explain their positions on this issue, in ways that demonstrate they have given this matter the consideration and thought it deserves. Yes or no answers will not suffice. There will be perhaps 10 candidates for governor – Republican, Democratic, Green and independent. Of those, one Republican, James Libby, says he is unalterably opposed to casino gambling and will veto any casino bill crossing their desk.

Not good enough. Maine already is in the casino business. There are hundreds of lottery outlets all over the state, all selling chances on the ever-expanding range of games offered by this state-run monopoly. It sucks some $140 million out of people’s pockets every year. Unlike casinos, the lottery creates no jobs, it pays no taxes. Further, according to leading experts, lotteries are perhaps the worst form of gambling – the odds are high, the paybacks are low, they prey primarily, and to a shocking degree, on people with little education and low incomes. Candidates opposed to casinos must be prepared to get the state out the lottery business and have a plan to fill the $40 million hole this will leave in state revenues.

The other candidates all say, with varying degrees of conviction, that their minds are open. At this early stage of the debate, open minds are a valuable asset. These candidates, however, can prove their sincerity by demonstrating a thorough understanding of the impacts of casinos and the state’s role in

regulating them.

Twenty-six states now have casinos, there are more than 400 of them nationwide. The impact of these casinos on society and the economy varies widely; they are perhaps the most highly regulated of businesses. The impacts upon traffic, law enforcement and local businesses can be addressed effectively. Control of excessive gambling, the treatment of problem gamblers, guarantees of job creation and the return to the state treasury all are open to negotiation. Candidates who remain open to a casino in Maine should be prepared to offer details of the protections they will demand.

Nearly every candidate queried on this issue has said there are better forms of economic development than casinos. Indeed there are. The tribes, however, have come forward with a specific economic-development proposal. Candidates who have something better in mind must describe, with a reasonable degree of specificity, what that something is. Vague assertions and empty promises will not revive Maine’s lagging economy.

It is impossible to know at this time where this issue will stand a year from now; it is far from certain a casino bill will even reach the next governor’s desk. How he candidates address this issue during the campaign, the consideration and thoughtfulness they display, the grasp of details they demonstrate, should provide voters with valuable insight into the character and intellect of those who would sit at that desk.