Vermont casino gambling, it’s a zombie of an idea that lives on in good times and bad. Auditor Tom Salmon last floated the idea but now Vermont lawmaker Rep.Ron Hubert in a Burlington Free Pressarticle says he too thinks its time to start a conversation about legalizing casino gambling in Vermont. Despite the that more competition and the great recession have driven casino revenues to lows nationally for several years he says: “I thought there was certainly no harm in getting the conversation started” Why? Well customers at his market “…head to the Mohegan Sun and Akwesasne Mohawk casinos in nearby states. They grouse about how Vermont loses out on their businesses [sic] by not having casinos.”
Hubert has support for this bill from sixteen other reps, most of them are republicans. Ideas under consideration include floating casinos on Lake Champlain or in trains out of White River Junction.
Casino revenues are down for their fourth straight year in Atlantic City due to competition from neighboring Philadelphia, New York and Delaware. Connecticut casinos laid off 300 workers in the past year to cut costs due to five year drop in gambling.This increased profits for one quarter despite continuing low revenue. Iowa opened casinos in 2006 and they are suffering stagnant revenues. An attempt by Iowa to increase their tax on casinos is causing threats from casino operators of cutbacks, job losses and ultimately closure of these gambling operations which are heavily in debt.
No harm in getting this conversation started? Here in Vermont the chairwoman of the house committee which received the bill notes worries about casinos may complicate the efforts of the Abenaki to gain tribal recognition.
Tactful permitting! Surprisingly, Hubert sees Vermont’s development and permitting laws, normally maligned by Republicans offering a check on casino development should it be allowed. “With Vermont’s permit regulations, there should be sufficient constraints to make sure any casino is tactful, he said.
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