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Opposition Group Lobbies Against Massachussetts Gambling Law

Opposition Group Lobbies Against Massachussetts Gambling Law

Added: October 2, 2013

News broke from Boston, Massachussetts that a group of casino opponents are lobbying in the state to overthrow current efforts to legalize three casinos and a slot parlor within state boundaries. The United States Federal Government has appointed states to be individually responsible for the status of gambling regulation within their jurisdictions, and even though a lot of progress has been made, there are still people who strongly oppose to the cause.

This group is extremely underfunded and small, but at an interview their leader said the following: "We look to stories of our faith and remember battles when David can beat Goliath," said the Rev. Laura Everett, executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches. The opposition is currently organized into a group called "Repeal the Casino Deal." They have gathered approximately 69,000 signatures they hope to use to overturn the law on the November 2014 ballot. However, even if they managed to collect enough signatures, their efforts are not likely to pull through in a legal case.

Attorney General Martha Coakley already ruled their ballot question unconstitutional and "Repeal the Casino Deal" appealed her decision, however if they lose the appeal it won't matter how many supporters they have because there will be no way for them to overturn constitutional law. One of the organizers of the signature drive, Brian Ashmankas, said that the odds of them losing don't mean anything to him because he is convinced they are on the right side of the fight.

In 2011, Massachussets passed a law allowing proponents to create three casinos and a slot parlor, the benefits for the state were thousands of jobs and economic activity. The opponents are arguing that the gambling venues would take money from local businesses to support an industry that harms families, increases crime, and encourages problem gambling. "You do not build communities with casinos," Curtatone said. "Casinos polarize consumers and take money off Main Street with the lure that you'll win big on Easy Street," said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.

The fight to regulate gambling in the United States seems to always face more obstacles. Even though nobody believes this group will pull through with their efforts, the situation still manages to portray how many people on the conservative side view this isssue as a matter of faith and criminality, as opposed to an opportunity to create employment and growth for a better life. We will keep you updated on the developments.