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Maryland is still on a high thanks to its Hollywood Casino opening. The casino brought in the thousands it was hoped to serve, and then some. Gamers from all over chose to get in on the fun and found that the slots at the casino were top notch and a lot of fun for them. There were even a few big winners since the opening of the casino in Perryville. So far crowds have continued to gather at the casino and wager. In just four days of initial operations the casino managed to bring in about $2 million. That is huge news for legislators who pushed for gambling to be brought in, and those who didn’t. Regardless of what side they were on, the change is a huge asset for the community. If this is a sign of what is to come, they could be sitting pretty on revenues of anywhere from $40 to $60 million per month, part of which would go directly to the state.

Part of their big draw was that people left the casino with great things to say. There were 1,500 slot machines for them to enjoy and on average, every slot handed out about $350. That is a huge return and most people who wagered for any length of time were able to win some money—a great feeling at any casino. The state’s legislators were ecstatic too. They know that the casino is going to be highly lucrative for them. Taking their tax revenue cut of a $40-$60 million revenue stream every month is no small change. That money is already being earmarked for various public works programs and education. The state was forced to cut back on education programs in the past and now can reinstitute them. This great news for residents who want more options for their children and anyone going back to further their education. If the state can continue to flourish with Hollywood Casino, it can eventually rebuild itslef and its market to what it was pre- recession, or even better. Overall this is one of the best action plans gambling has taken in the US market. Hopefully other states will see the same long-lasting success with their own gambling plans.

The world of gambling is not without controversy. Massachusetts Democrat Representative John Tierney is now in the midst of gambling-related problems. His wife is now facing federal charges for her part in her brother’s illegal online gambling company. Patrice Tierney is being accused of managing online bank accounts for her brother and transferring over $7 million worth of money from online casinos in the process. Her brother Bobby Eremian is the one being brought up against federal charges for operating the casino. Of course in the US online gambling is still illegal and considering the amount of money he has been moving, the government is standing up to take notice. So far research is showing that Eremian supposedly established the online casino website that was based in Antigua—a country known for its lesser taxation laws for online gambling companies. Tierney then was recruited to manage the money as it moved from country to country. She allegedly facilitated the transactions and is now facing four federal changes including tax evasion and tax fraud. Eremian is facing charges for the same offences, but in addition he also has money laundering and racketeering to deal with. Sentencing is scheduled for January 13th of this coming year.

This is just another example of the problems that are occurring regarding online gambling. opponents to its legalization are stating that it is a sure fire way to increase the number of illegal activities involved. They believe that money laundering, crime, corruption and racketeering all go hand in hand with legalizing the activity altogether. Only time will tell if this is true of not, but for now the government is dealing with cases like this one in increasing numbers. Gamers are taking advantage of the huge dollars available via online gambling and using offshore companies to set up shop. They know that there are millions of online gamblers who are pushing for new gaming possibilities and want to wager. They are putting themselves into the mix—despite its illegal nature. Tierney and Eremian are just two more people caught up in the fray for their alleged circumvention of the laws.

Maryland is looking to expand its gambling world and it seems that the voting public most likely is alright with that. A recent poll showed that the majority of residents believe that gambling would bring much needed jobs and revenue to the state. They are in support of the move as long as it is regulated by the state. The issue is set to be put on the November ballot, but that still needs approval. If residents voted in favor of expanding gambling, it would allow the state to build the biggest casino facility in the state of Maryland. The casino proposed would be located in Arundel Mills mall area in Anne Arundel County. It is proposed that this casino would dwarf others in the state and be the biggest money maker for the state. It would have a huge number of slot machines and be a premiere slots parlor.

Now that there is debate over putting the vote on the ballot, anti-gambling activists have come out with their own advertising plans. You can’t watch television or listen to the radio in the state without hearing or seeing some hefty campaign warning of the dangers of bringing gambling into the state. It is David Cordish, of Cordish Company, that is on the other side of the argument. He is the one who would help to build the facility of over 5,000 slot machines into the state. He thus far has accused anti-gambling companies of running advertisements that were riddled with untrue information about the problems of gambling. Chairman of “No Slots at the Mall” though believes differently. He says that all advertisements run by the company have been based in fact and there have been no exaggerations to name. Both sides are pushing hard for the issue, but if the people have the final say, it could be that much closer to bringing slots gaming on a big scale into the state. Though organizations keep on decrying gambling, it may do little to actually defray the overall plan of action. There is just too much revenue on the table for gamers or legislators to pass up the chance to bring the slot parlor to the area.

For a long time now Massachusetts has been heavily in debates over gambling. Legislators worked hard to keep gambling out of the state and it appeared that they were successful up until a few weeks ago. The country is set to approve federal health care funds for states and that may cause Massachusetts to revisit the gambling issue. The House and Senate both are opposed on the issue. They are proposing a special session to discuss gambling within the state. Massachusetts needs to have a special session to handle the issue but most likely senators are not willing to come back to work for gambling alone. If there is a hefty pay to be had with the federal contribution to health care that just may be enough to bring the senate to a special meeting of overtime.

This is just one instance where gambling is being heavily debated. It is taking a long time to come together, but gambling is proving to be a viable option for more than a few states. Of course Massachusetts has another asset- Governor Duval Patrick. He has long petitioned for an expansion of gambling in the state. Patrick wants casinos resorts to be built in the state and he also wants race tracks to operate without the help of slots. On the other hand Representative DeLeo wants race tracks to have slot machines to help them draw in customers and bring in added revenue as a result. This is just one example of how the state’s legislators are at odds with each other. They are concerned about the laws and trying to make them work despite the differences of opinion. Legislators are negotiating the issues in Massachusetts and hoping that they can square away the problems so that revenues can be brought in and it can be used to revitalize the market. Like most states, Massachusetts is troubled and hoping to use gambling revenue to fund various public works programs that need to be worked on schedule for the state. Only time will tell what happens with the issue, but hopefully, it will be sorted out soon and then the state can truly take advantage of new revenue from gambling.

There are many debates throughout the US over the question of gambling and its legalization. Massachusetts is in the midst of heavy debates but also seems to be one of the closest states to regulation of wagering activities. Governor Duval Patrick has been instrumental in the push for the move. He cites the millions of potential tax-revenue dollars as the main reason why gaming should be included in the state’s budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

Part of the issue within the state was the question of bringing slots gaming to the casino floor. House Speaker Robert DeLeo was a proponent of the move. In fact, he originally brought up the decision and his bill was built on racetracks including slots to their businesses. The move would create the “racinos” that are a healthy combination of race tracks and slots gaming parlors. DeLeo believed that the combination was the best way to salvage the racing industry and bring gambling to the state’s market at the same time. Though DeLeo was firm on his position, the Governor’s was different.

Governor Patrick pushed for gambling to be legalized within the state, but with the exception of the creation of racinos. In fact, he was staunchly against the move and even threatened to pull his support if the bill concerning the creation of racinos was approved. Earlier this year the Senate sided with the Governor on the issue and left racetracks out of the legal decision. That’s horrible news for racetracks throughout the state because they are already suffering greatly and in danger of evolving out of the market altogether. It was hoped that bringing slot machines to their business models would be the saving grace for racetracks that have had diminished numbers since the beginning of the recession. And there are no signs of a revival for racetracks—horse or dogs. Without the inclusion of slot gaming it is possible that many racetracks in the state will have to close down due to low numbers. Only time will tell what happens, but the move to eliminate them from gambling negotiations has definitely hampered their operator’s hopes.  

Smoking and gambling are up for debate in the state of Massachusetts. The state senate is currently arguing a bill that would allow casinos into the state to legally operate. The casinos would offer huge tax-revenue dollars to suffering state coffers. After the recession, Massachusetts, just like all other states, was left with a struggling economy and few ways to bring in the millions of dollars needed to balance budgets. Gambling is a hopeful solution to the deficits. If it brings in the millions of tax-revenue dollars anticipated, it will help the state to avoid further cuts of public programs and expansion. To make it through the recession the state, like most others, was forced to eliminate education funding, state funding to businesses and funding to public buildings.

In addition to debating gambling, Massachusetts is also in hefty debates over whether or not those casinos will allow smoking in 25% of the gaming floor. It was in 2004 that state lawmakers first approved a law that banned smoking in public places like restaurants, workplaces and bars. That law was targeted at saving lives and saving people from second-hand smoke. Many activists pined for the decision citing the dangers of smoke. Though there were opponents, in the end the bill was passed. Its elimination of smoking in public places was a long-time goal of the state and its legislators who were hoping to elevate the level of health consciousness in the state.

Now, six years later state legislators are revisiting the bill. They are looking to approve a bill that would allow smoking in 25% of the casino floor. The hope is that it will encourage more developers to come to the state.  Initially smoking became an issue because experts noted that a ban on smoking would keep casino goers out. A good majority of them are smokers, according to market research. This is now becoming a focus again in the state. Legislators are hoping that a partial smoke allowance will still encourage developers, while maintaining a safety standard for casino visitors. After the debates, a sure-fire plan will be instituted to bring casinos to the state and hopefully the financial goals will be reached. 

Massachusetts is one of those states that has had a very visible struggle with the question of gambling. Governor Duval Patrick has led the cause and has always had a positive view of casino gambling within the state. The governor had attempted to pass laws last year that would allow for casino resorts within the state. Unfortunately, his attempt was thwarted, namely by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, who was a strong opponent of the move. Though there was a difficult pushback, Patrick believed that bringing a casino resort was a sure-fire way of bringing in more money to a sorely reeling state that had been ravaged by the recession.

Like most other states, there are clearly opposing sides voicing their opinion on the issue of gambling. One side is holding up the ethical argument. They state that having gambling as a legal hobby would create an increase in crime, corruption and addictions for residents. This side believes that it is too high a price to pay for the money from tax-revenue dollars and is not reliable.  On the other hand, there are legislators who believe that the money is much-needed and without gambling there are few other options to bring in millions of dollars for the next decade. They estimate millions of dollars being underutilized if gambling isn’t legalized and regulated in their states. An added argument is that if people cannot gamble in their state, they will continue to gamble in other states, and fuel their money into those other states.

So far there are two casino resort operators and slots parlors that are heavily supporting the move to bring online gambling and casino gambling to the state. It is expected that the eventual outcome will be that the hobby is allowed, but not without a lot of strict regulation prior to its acceptance. Governor Patrick is hopeful also, stating that without the revenue, the state will continue to be hampered by its financial state. There are not a whole lot of other options to turn things around and casino gambling online may be its best bet for recovery.

Massachusetts is in the midst of debates over casino gambling. Governor Duval Patrick has been making moves to expand gambling within the state. He is a strong supporter of the move and sees the revenue potential as a huge advantage to state coffers. One thing that legislators all over the country know is that gambling is lucrative. There are huge dollars to be had in the market of gambling and with states under the stress of deficits, it’s a hard thing to pass up.

Recently, Patrick met with anti-gambling representatives to discuss the effects gambling has on society as a whole. Patrick said, “I think the points that were made when we met about refreshing the analysis of both the economic cost benefit and also the human impact are very well taken. I have commended that idea forward to the Speaker and the Senate President.” 

Part of gambling for the state is resting on the social cost of bringing it into the state. Critics believe that increasing gambling would have a huge effect on society. Not only will in increase crime, corruption and money laundering, but it also will increase the number of gambling addiction in the state. Those addicts will then be in need of care and counseling, but a good portion won’t get help. The fear is that the portion that doesn’t get help will fall into financial disasters like foreclosure, homelessness and other addiction-related issues. Without the proper safeguards built into the system, allowing gambling into the state will surely create additional problems for everyone involved.

The Speaker of the House is Robert DeLeo and the Senate President is Therese Murray. Both have supported the move to expand gambling in the state due to financial reasons. They know how hefty profits could be and want the state to give it a chance to help turn around the economy. Patrick relied heavily on his pro-gambling stand when campaigning for his office and voters were supporting. They believed too that gambling would be able to fund various state initiatives like education, expansion and public works programs. Many experts believe that it is why he won the vote.

When it comes to legalizing gambling, no state has had the year that Massachusetts has. This past year the state has debated out the issue with two sides drawing stanch lines in the sand against each other. The state us under huge financial strains as a result of the recession. One of the distinctions of this state, however, is that prior to the recession, it had a huge budgetary problem. Way back in 2006 the state was having difficulties making the budget during its fiscal year. Then the recession happened and made it even worse. As a result, legislators are pushing hard for legalizing gambling in an effort to bring in the huge gambling tax revenue dollars.

One of the biggest issues the state has is that lottery gambling is down. In former years lottery gambling was one of the most lucrative activities the state supported. It relied on money from lotteries to fund various state programs. Unfortunately, the recession brought many changes to the state’s economy. Once the recession began the unemployment rate skyrocketed. Many people who formerly had the discretionary funding needed to pay for extras, like the lottery, suffered and had to cut extra spending out of their budgets. It hit the state’s economy hard and cut millions of dollars from their budget.

Another issue regarding the lottery is that the state cut a good deal of its advertising budget due to the recession. That drastically added to the problem of a lagging lottery sales number. It was a circle that had many problems—the state didn’t have the advertising budget to promote the lottery and without more lottery money, budgets declined.

Governor Duval Patrick is also in the midst of trying to defend himself against former ally Timothy Cahill. Cahill ran against Patrick for governor of the state. He took the platform during his campaign that Patrick never managed the state’s funds properly.  His primary stance during campaigning was to bash Patrick’s actions and lack of good planning with taxpayer money. Now that the two are squaring off, Patrick is left to piece together and repair the lottery industry. In the mean time, the state is working to expand its gambling casinos to bring in more money.

Massachusetts is not new to the gambling market. In fact, the state is one of the most talked about when it comes to gambling. It is working hard to come up with legislation that allows gambling into the state legally and allows millions of dollars into the economy as a result. As of late, however, things have been different.  The state is noting a decline in lottery revenue. According to analysts that is due to the state’s cutback on advertising its lottery.

Governor Duval Patrick is now squaring off against his former ally Democrat Timothy Cahill. Cahill’s platform focuses on Patrick’s “mismanagement” of state coffers. He is using millions of dollars to promote Patrick’s alleged mistakes with millions of dollars in revenue from gambling. One of the main issues is a $8 million reduction in the amount of money that is spent on advertising for the state lottery. Cahill believes the reduction could be the reason for a projected $222 million in revenue losses. Due to an upcoming election, he is using that as his focus.

On the other hand, Patrick refutes the claim that he is mismanaging funds or that the lottery revenues are declining due to a cutback in advertising. He believes that it’s the poor economy and post-recession that is causing the lag in lottery ticket sales. Patrick said, ”The legislative leadership are losing our patience with the excuses with the lottery performance. Just give us a realistic estimate so we can build that into the budget, and not have to do patches and plugs to cope.” Although the issue is hardly settled, state lawmakers are trying to expand casinos within the state. They are hoping to capitalize on the popularity of casinos and online gambling by legalizing and regulating the pastime.

The governor now has allies in top legislative positions. House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray are both in favor of casino expansion. The two leaders have been lobbying fellow lawmakers to make the legal changes necessary to bring casinos to the state. They know the millions of potential dollars that are at stake with the move and want to shore up the state funds. The deficit is another issue that legislators are hoping could be overcome with gambling-tax revenues.