Sunday quote
Steven Smith's Middleboro casino prediction
3/30/08 Steven Smith, director of the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD), hasn't been popular among casino proponents in Middleboro because of his involvement in the regional casino group. He's quoted in the Sunday Boston Globe as follows.
"I think if they don't get Class 3 gambling immediately, they'll get it down the road," Smith said. "And I'm sure the investors were happy they won't have the competition of other casinos." (Read the article here: "Casino backers keep ball rolling")
There's been some chatter around Middleboro that the size of the resort casino was scaled down because the state might approve commercial casinos or for other reasons such as the chance they might not get class III gaming. In the same article Shawn Hendricks, Mashpee tribal council president adresses this.
The tribe, he said, also never had any intention of downsizing its casino plan, based on the threat of other casinos nearby. "The only changes we have made to the plan have been based on environmental issues, not on the possibility of three casinos in the state."
The issue of the two classes of gambling is also discussed in this article. The point of contention remains whether the tribe would even be interested in a casino if they were limited to class II slots. Related to this debate is whether the legislator will approve slot machines at race tracks as a measure to generate at least some gambling revenue. If they do, this opens the door for the Mashpee casino to have the same kind of high profit slot machines. COMMENT HERE | 0 COMMENTS
Carol Kelly still involved in anti-casino efforts
Above: Carol Kelly, with Mashpee Wampanoag tribe members in background, addressed the BIA in Middleboro on March 25, 2008.
3/26/08 Carol Kelly is listed as a board member of the Citizens Equal Rights Alliance (CERA) on their website. She is a Plymouth resident. CERA is a controversial group among Native Americans because they are against tribal sovereignty.
Kelly has attended a number of casino related meetings in Middlboro, and wrote an OpEd for this website which you can read here. At last night's meeting she spoke against the casino. She addressed the BIA during the regular comments and in the period allowed for follow-up remarks. She did not identify herself as a member of CERA.
I wrote about CERA in an editorial on July 21, 2007: Do we want CERA in our town? It includes a number of links.
You can read more about CERA and what Indian groups and human rights organizations think of them on these websites:
Chapter "Indian Treaty Rights" from book "When Hate Groups Come to Town."
A discussion of anti-indian groups from Muscogee Nation website
The New Terminators: A Guide to the Anti-sovereignty Movement
Anti-Indian groups put Indians in Leadership postions.
This is the most recent:
March 11, 2008: Anti-Indians Come to Washington D.C. " from Indianz
Some excerpts: Elaine Willman (head of CERA), alleged Cherokee, and her cabal of creepsters were in Washington, D.C., over the weekend for the annual Citizens Equal Rights Alliance/Citizens Equal Rights Foundation conference. Just what does this group stand for?
Based on this list of bills that CERA/CERF supports and opposes, we know they hate gaming, land-into-trust, federal recognition and tribal political donations. But they aren't anti-Indian, no siree. How do we know? They actually support H.R.4462, the Code Talker bill!
"They are getting more organized, more aggressive and more active," Johnson warned of anti-Indians groups like CERA/CERF.
We actually think Jax gave them too much credit. Have you seen their web page? It makes Dom Nessi look good.
Their conference agenda is pretty sad too. It's basically Elaine Willman on every single panel, because you know she isn't busy at all with her new job in Wisconsin, fighting the Oneida Nation.
"Turtle Talk" is also actively tracking CERA in Montana where CERA failed in a lawsuit last year that alleged voter fraud and discrimination on the Crow Reservation in Montana. COMMENT HERE | 0 COMMENTS
Why you don't need help writing your letter to the B.I.A.
and why you should write it yourself
3/25/08 Tonight representatives of the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be in Middleboro and as I've noted previously, I doubt much will happen that will surprise them. No doubt they expect both proponents and opponents of the Mashpee resort casino to be out with all the force each side can muster. They may be influenced to a small extent by numbers, but they aren't so niave as to think that the number of people on each side of an issue like this is really representative of the pro and con numbers in the actual population.
I think the substance of the actual arguments and questions will be far more important than the number of people on each side.
What will be most important is that the actual aruments are credible. They have heard all the anti-casino sentiments before. If there are concern specifically related to the site in Middleboro I'm sure these will be taken seriously.
My impression is that tonight's hearing will benefit proponents of the resort casino because the opposition arguments are weak and the proponents have three things going for them. In no particular order, first, I haven't heard any environmental concerns expressed that haven't been sufficiently answered. Second is that there are many benefits to the community for having a major resort located here. Finally, the land into trust law and the indian gaming act were established to help tribes, and the proposed initial reservation with a resrot casino here in Middleboro certainly will help the Mashpee.
As to the letter writing: I think that it is at least as important for supporter to write to the B.I.A. I think each letter ought to be clearly different from all the others. While we don't know how carefully the letters will be analyzed, we do know they will be looked at and at the very least counted as pro or con.
Because there is considerable controversy over the Middleboro application I think there's a good chance the letters will be read carefully. For this reason you should personalize your letters. I wouldn't worry about spelling or grammar or how polished it is. I think it is important to express yourself in a way that demonstrate it obviously was written by you and not in part or substantially by someone assisting you.
Tell the B.I.A. who you are and why you support the resort casino. Make the letter long or short, detailed or general. Get your letters supporting the casino in to: Franklin Keel, Regional Director |
Eastern Regional Office |
Bureau of Indian Affairs |
545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700 |
Nashville, TN 37214 | Be sure to reference: Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee - Middlboro land into trust for initial reservation.
State and tribe: Something we didn't know
3/23/08 The Boston Globe reveals the following:
Patrick also declined to come to terms with the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe, which last month discussed an agreement that would have given the tribe a lock on a casino in Middleborough for the tribe's support of Patrick's legislation, according to a person involved in the discussions.
...
The tribe discussed paying the state about 20 percent of its slot revenues, and immediately throwing its support behind Patrick's plan to license two other casinos in Greater Boston and Western Massachusetts.
Administration officials considered the Mashpee proposal at a Feb. 25 meeting at the State House, but an administration official said Friday that with the casino legislation uncertain, they were reluctant to cut a quick deal with the tribe that they may have protracted negotiations with over the next couple of years.
Without any reconciliation with DiMasi and without the backing of the Mashpee tribe, the governor's administration was finally forced to look elsewhere for support.
Read entire article here.
Tribe on track and track heads to Middleboro
3/21/08 If anything, the vote in the Massachusetts House to send the commercial casino bill back to committee will enable the Mashpee to focus 100%, without distraction, on their land into trust application for initial reservations in Mashpee and Middleboro. This is not to say that this wasn't their focus all along and that they ever took their eyes off the prize; but if anything the Patrick proposal had to be something of a distraction, however minor.
Now, as reported in the Cape Cod Times, which continues to provide superior coverage of the Mashpee Wampanaog, "Patrick's casino plans (have been) killed, tribe's (plans are) 'on track'.
Class II bingo slots, often discussed, and generally dismissed as viable by opponents, have always been the fallback alternative for the Mashpee casino should the state fail to legalize class III gaming. This is discussed in depth in the Cape Cod Times article.
Here's Rep. Bosley on bingo slots, who, playing the role of a sore winner, has even threatened to try to make bingo per se illegal in Massachusetts.
Even if the tribe tried to open a Class II "bingo slots" casino — under the argument that the state already allows traditional bingo games — Rep. Bosley doubted they would find financial backers. He said Class II bingo slots games are slower and less lucrative than the Class III slots at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
"Since there are alternatives here, we think it is going to be hard for them to find financing to put up this kind of a parlor if it ever gets to that point," Rep. Bosley said. "All of these different barriers diminish the chance for this to be inevitable."
Rep. Bosley said the state could also elect to repeal the bingo law. LINK
This is what Rep. Tom Calter, who represents the portion of Middleboro where the Mashpee land in Middleboro is, had to say in his first speech before the House:
'The Mashpee Wampanoags, to their credit, have not said we don't care. They're working as hard as they can to be good neighbors. But the law is the law. And that's what we're allowing by turning our backs on this bill. We're allowing them to walk into this state, take control of the gaming industry, meet the demand that our consumers have and then lock us out if four, three years from now we get that (point) and we just try to take that back." LINK
Calter, while supporting commercial casinos, is opposed to any type of casnino in Middleboro. I'll leave it to readers to decide what he meant to say when he described the Mashpee as being allowed to walk into the state.
The chance that the tribe will sue the state for class III gaming because they already allow Las Vegas nights is also addressed in the Cape Cod Times article.
The only thing missing from the Cape Cod Times article is what would happen in the event, unlikely as I think it is, that the legislature authorizes slot machines at the four race tracks as a way to make up some of the revenue shortfall Patrick hoped to fill with commercial casinos.
If the state legalizes slot machines at race tracks, turning them into so-called racinos, everything I have read says that the tribe could have the same type slot machines in their casino.
Here's what the Boston Globe had to say about the idea of legalizing racinos:
As the House went through the motions of killing Patrick's landmark bill, racetrack owners were strategizing over ways to put momentum behind a bill that the speaker has vowed to bring to the House floor for discussion. Representative David Flynn, a Bridgewater Democrat, is spearheading a proposal that would allow each of the state's four racetracks to install 2,500 slot machines. Each track would have to agree to pay a $50 million licensing fee and give the state 50 percent of the slot revenues, which would generate an estimated $400 million annually. "It brings it right to the forefront," said Flynn, the longest-serving member in the House. "I'm the only game in town."
LINK
Now that the statewide furor over whether or not to have three commercial casinos has ended, it remains to be seen whether the anti-casino coalition, CasinoFreeMass, will remain as active in trying to stop the Mashpee Middleboro casino. We should get a good idea about this next week when we see how involved people from outside the Middleboro area are in the BIA hearings.
There has been a major effort among local casino opponents to rally their forces to make their concerns known during the hearing to be held in Middleboro and perhaps to a lesser extent, in Mashpee. My impression is that they think they will be bringing up issues the BIA hasn't thought of, and that their sheer numbers will influence them.
I rather doubt the BIA will hear anything they haven't anticipated or that the BIA will be swayed by a strong showing of anti-casino residents... that is unless there are a few raised eyebrows when they read a letter supporting the tribe's casino from a certain very senior clinical social worker and psychotherapist.
3/19/08 - Quote of the day:
"The individuals who have floated this red herring have never been challenged to define exactly what constitutes a casino culture, which is somewhat interesting considering that 32 states already have some type of Class III gaming." Prof. Clyde Barrow faulting the frequent references to Massachusetts becoming a casino culture (link)
3/18/08 There is a great deal of speculation about the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's chances for having two initial reservations out into trust by the federal government. The facts that I don't think anyone can plausibly dispute is that there are so many unknowns, so many aspects that make their case unique, that everything printed about this is speculation.
Much has ben made of the issue that the tribe wants to have two sites declared their initial reservation so they can build a casino in Middleboro. As we all know, it isn't practical for them to have a casino in Mashpee.
Opponents of the Middleboro reservation and objective reporters alike make note of the fact that the current town of Mashpee is the tradional home of the Mashpee Wampanoag. It seems to go without saying that a tribe called the Mashpee Wampanoag would be based in Mashpee.
However, they have valid and difficult to dispute historic claims to the Middleboro site because they are one of five members of the Wampanoag Nation. Before the Pilgrims landed, members of the Wampanoag Nation called the entire area of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island home.
After King Phillips War in 1675 there were only about 400 Wampanoags left alive and they were forced to resettle in other areas. Consider this from Wikipedia and how this aspect of the tribe's history supports their case for two initial reservations:
With the exception of the Wampanoag groups on the coastal islands, who had stayed neutral through the war, the Wampanoag of the mainland were resettled with the Saconnet, or brought, together with the Nauset, into the praying towns in Barnstable County. In Massachusetts, Mashpee, on Cape Cod, was the biggest reservation. In 1660 the Indians were allotted about 50 square miles there, and beginning in 1665 they governed themselves with a court of law and trials. The area was integrated into the district of Mashpee in 1763, but in 1788 the state revoked their ability to self-govern, which it considered a failure. It then appointed a committee to supervise, consisting of five white-only members. A certain degree of self-government was returned to the Indians in 1834, and although the Indians were far from completely autonomous, one could say that this time the experiment was successful. Their land was divided up in 1842, with 2,000 acres (8 km²) of their 13,000 acres (53 km²) distributed in 60 acre parcels to each family. Many laws attest to constant problems of encroachments by whites, who stole wood from the reservation. It was a large region, once rich in wood, fish and game, and therefore desirable for the whites. Some had trouble ignoring the constantly growing community of non-whites, and so the Mashpee Indians had more conflicts with their white neighbors than the other Indian settlements in the state.[4]
The fact that the Washington Post missed (see right column).
3/16/08 Boston Globe writer Sam Allis is new to covering the Middleboro casino. He writes a column, The Observer, for the paper every Sunday. He apparently came to town to cover the ghost story (see "Trick of light or proof of haunted town hall?" by Christine Legere, 3/16/08 ).
In today's column he writes that while the debate in Boston about commercial casinos is escalating, there is a...
....casino saga that is moving quietly along a separate track. I'm talking about the bid by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to build a casino in Middleborough, the very place where I heard a ghost recorded by a pair of paranormal investigators a couple of weeks ago say, "Hell, no."
Oh, you forgot about the Wampanoag gambit? You thought that the State House spectacular was the only game in town? No, no, no.
Dismiss Middleborough at your peril.
Although many of the opponents want to dismiss the possibility of the Mashpee moving along the reservation class II track (bingo slots) if the state doesn't legalize class III gambling, Allis says what we've been writing about here since this summer:
If the casino play dies, there's always Class II gaming, which is nothing to sneeze at. Just ask the Seminoles in Florida, with their wildly successful Class II gaming operations.
Allis references Selectman Adam Bond noting that Middleboro will get a much needed $7 million to $12 million a year. He characterizes the casino opponents as saying "nuts" and calling the benefits claimed by supporters as being illusory sugar plums. He quotes Rich Young, president of CasinoFacts.org, which Allis calls the "main opposition outfit", as saying the town will net "a big zero" after the base of $7 million.
As has happened before, we have leaders of the local casino opposition debating money on one hand while saying they are against casinos at any price. Why do they even discuss the finances if they'd still be agains them even if casinos would bring "sugar plums" to the town or state?
Young, a Mioddleboro resident who also heads up the statewide casino oppostion group, CasinoFreeMass, and thus wears two hats in the anti-casino movement, demonstates this divided loyalty in the following:
But the town is hurting, I point out. "So does everyone in the state get a casino in their neighborhood?"
Boston Globe article
If Bosley says so it must be true?
3/13/08 The latest edition of The Exaggeration Free News, which is put out by CasinoFreeMass, assures us that a Mashpee reservation casino isn't in the offing. How do they know this. They know it because Rep. Bosely say so.
Inevitable Schmevitable!
The latest tactic of the pro-casino crowd is to spread the notion that tribal casinos in Massachusetts are inevitable and the state might as well approve commercial casinos because the native Americans could build a casino tomorrow and the state will get none of the benefits. Horse pucky! Rep. Dan Bosley, has taken apart this latest argument in one of his “issue papers” released last week. Essentially, Bosley concludes there’s little likelihood the tribes could build and open a Foxwoods- like casino without the state’s consent. So much for inevitability.
As a member of the pro-Middleboro-casino crowd (not the pro-statewide commercial casino crowd) I thought it would be illuminating to share the reasons Bosley comes to his conclusion. You can read it here.
Keep in mind that this is the same man who was quoted in the 3/9/08 Brockton Enterprise (LINK) as saying that “there are clear indications that (a Mashpee Wampanoag tribal casino) is not inevitable. The Wampanoags have to first place the land in trust. Since they are claiming Mashpee as their primary reservation and have no clear historical ties to Middleborough, this is a huge test.”
Rep. Bosley, Indian historian?
3/9/08 Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adamswho is a casino opponent is quoted in today's Brockton Enterprise (LINK) as saying that “there are clear indications that (a Mashpee Wampanoag tribal casino) is not inevitable. The Wampanoags have to first place the land in trust. Since they are claiming Mashpee as their primary reservation and have no clear historical ties to Middleborough, this is a huge test.”
The Wampanoag "have no clear historical ties to Middleborough."
This must come as news to those who have studied the history of the Mashpee Wampanoag.
Quote:
“Right now we are going to stick with the federal process. We want to work with the state. We don’t want to come out in a negative light.” Shawn Henricks, Mashpee chairman (from the Boston Herald)
2/5/08 The Boston Herald reports that the Mashpee "Tribe rebuffs Patrick, pursues U.S. casino OK" . The governor wanted the tribe to bid on one of three commercial licenses instead of pursuing land into trust status for the land they purchased in Middleboro. It was announced by Dan O’Connell, secretary of housing and economic development, after an hour meeting with the governor's and tribe's representatives that the Mashpee "are pursuing a separate process... they made it clear to us they plan to continue that process.”
According to The Brockton Enterprise, Middleboro town planner Ruth Geoffroy was also part of the meeting "to answer technical questions on the project, addressing the impact to Middleboro and stressing the importance of the town joining in the process."
Shawn Hendricks was also quoted in today's Boston Globe:
"We definitely want to work with the state," said tribal council chairman Shawn Hendricks. "Our tribe members, we live here; we have friends here. It's common sense that we would, you know, build a relationship. We don't want to come out in a negative light and come out in a controversy with anyone."
Hendricks also said that, although the tribe is working with the state, it would continue to pursue its federal application.
"When would we want to build it?" Hendricks said. "Three days ago."
Aslo in The Globe, another quote from O'Connell:
"There's no question in my mind that there will be a facility taken into federal trust by the tribe. We will have a Native American casino in the Commonwealth and in the not-too-distant future."
The next crucial stage in the process between the state and the tribe is to work out the compact which will enable to state to reap the financial rewards of having a land into trust resort - casino in Middleboro. Once this is accomplished it should be easier for Governor Patrick to sell the state legislature on approving the more lucrative class III gambling because what benefits the tribe will also benefit the state.
Boston Globe editorial: Benefits of casinos outweigh drawbacks
3/4//08 In an editorial today, "Unnecessary hype on casinos" The Boston Globe endorses Governor Deval Patrick's casino plan with the caution that he shouldn't exaggerate the benefits. They conclude: "There is no precise mathematical formula to resolve the debate over casino gambling. There are social costs, such as gambling addiction, to weigh against the economic development and revenue gains. Patrick's excessive job claim makes his sales job harder. But it doesn't diminish the overall soundness of his proposal." (emphasis added)
This website has from the outset attempted to balance the pros and cons of a Middleboro casino and attempted to justify why the former outweighed the later.
While we never disputed many of the negative impacts as espoused by the opponents, we did dispute the weight they gave them, and their contention they couldn't be mitigated or minimized.
The Middleboro casino is unlikely to be an economic engine like a Ferrari 599 GTB Tipo F133F V-12, propelling untold riches to the area at eyeball popping speed. I see it as having an overall economic benefit. It will serve to stimulate a number of new businesses and lead to an increased patronage at some existing businesses while it forces shaky business to revamp or fold. It will change the economic climate for the better in ways that no other business could.
Will it lead to a new hotel at every freeway exit? Who knows? It might or it might not. But one thing we do know is that it will provide thousands of jobs both during construction and once it is in operation to residents from New Bedford and Fall River to Taunton and Brockton and all points in between.
The Middleboro casino won't be an economic black hole as some of the anti-casino bloggers predict. It won't generate an immense gravitational pull which, again as anti-casino bloggers appear to want to depict it, sucks the very life out of the surrounding community like a cosmic black hole functions in outer space.
Black hole or economic engine? I believe the effect of a billion dollar resort and casino here in Middleboro come down easily on the side of a beneficial economic engine; but not quite a Ferrari V-12. Or at least I doubt it. Perhaps it will be more like a Toyota Prius hybrid engine, and that isn't too shabby.
| Middleboro voters elect pro-casino candidates for BOS
Casino opponents fail to prove their point
Election Day 11:00 P.M. One of CasinoFacts oft heard talking points before the town meeting where Middleboro residents voted on the casino was that a regular election would be far preferable to a town meeting to decide such an important issue. They said it would be fairer, and many on the other side agreed. This wasn't possible for reasons having to do, if I recall, with the town charter.
After the town meeting approved the agreement with the Mashpee Wanpanoag two to one, CasinoFacts consistently brought up the other vote, a yes or no vote on whether residents wanted to have a casino in the town. That vote, which wasn't binding and didn't include an actual count, went in in opponent's favor, although we don't know how close it was.
Casino proponents pointed out that many voters left the meeting after the vote on the agreement because it was the only vote that counted, and in many cases because they were hot and tired. Some speculate that if casino advocates knew that the "do you want a casino" vote would become a talking point for the anti-casino group, they might have stayed.
The Saturday town election to fill to seats on the Board of Selectmen can be viewed as a referendum on the casino because two of the seven candidate were active proponents of the casino.
Marsha Brunelle, as a member of the Board of Selectman, was an outspoken advocate of the casino. Muriel "MiMi" Duphily was actively involved in the pro-casino group.
Of the other Board of Selectmen candidates, Greg Stevens is a member of the board of CasinoFacts and Fredrick "Ted" Eayrs was quoted in various papers as being against the casino. I don't know if Jessie Powell, Michael O'Shaughnessy or Thomas Murphy ever made public statements about whether or not they supported the casino.
Nobody can tell what the result would have been if only Brunelle, Duphily, Stevens and Eayrs were on the ballot. I think a good argument can be made that the other votes would have balanced out between the top candidates, perhaps with more of O'Shaughnessy's going to Brunelle and Duphily and more of Powell's going to Stevens and Eayrs, and the results would have been the same.
Of course everyone in Middleboro who pays attention to local news knows that Jessie Powell organized and ran in the selectman recall election, and O'Shaughnessy was a candidate along with Greg Stevens. The common perception, whether true or not, was that if you were for the recall you were against the casino.
Why didn't CasinoFacts publicly endorse anti-casino BOS candidates?
The CasinoFacts PAC lists a $500 campaign contribution to their board member Gregory Stevens, but as far as I can tell made no more public endorsement.
There is no doubt that CasinoFacts has become a political force with considerable clout. The have recently supported Rep. Tom Calter in his reelection race. They did not, however, choose to publicly endorse two candidates for the Board of Selectmen even though a member of their board is running.
It may be that not knowing how likely it would be that they could unseat an incumbent and defeat a long time and well known Middleboro resident, CasinoFacts decided not to make a public endorsement of two anti-casino candidates and put their considerable political heft behind trying to get them elected. To do so would have made this the closest thing to public vote on a referendum on the casino, something they said they wanted all along.
With an endorsement they would have risked a loss that would have undermined their contention that most Middleboro voters were against the casino.
It is likely that their members and allies who were following the casino controversy by and large supported and voted for the two candidates who expressed opposition to the casino, Greg Stevens and Ted Eayrs. The other candidates are either relatively unknown, or in the case of Powell, someone who did very poorly in the recall.
Casino proponents believed it was important to elect Brunelle and Duphily and there was an effort by them to get out the vote even though their organization has remained grass roots and informal and they didn't have a website or structure to make a formal endorsement.
My hunch is that even though you didn't find a formal endorsement of candidates on the CasinoFacts website or in comments to the press, there was a similar effort to elect their anti-casino candidates.
Thus the outcome of the election with a victory by Brunelle and Duphily should be viewed as an expression of support for the casino. The number of people who voted for for either pro or anti casino candidates suggests that the residents of Middleboro who feel strongly enough about the issue to come out to vote, when given a chance to cast a ballot , support the casino.
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Grinois and Mustard study not the end all and be all of studies
3/31/08 The studies by Earl Grinois and David Mustard (“Casinos, crime, and community costs,” The Review of Economics and Statistics, 88(1), February 2006: 28-4, and an earlier 2004 study) linking casinos to increased crime have been often referenced by those opposed to casinos both in Middleboro and elsewhere. I have yet to note that anyone on the anti-casino side mentioned that the conclusions of the Grinois and Mustard study aren't universivally agreed upon by those in the academic community who study the social costs of casinos.
Some months ago I referred readers to the January, 2008 Douglas Walker study " Do casinos really cause crime?" which is a response to Grinois and Mustard.
Now I refer readers to additional articles from links here: Do Casinos Cause Crime? Yes, according to a REStat article by Earl Grinols and David Mustard. But that answer relies on several weak links, says Douglas Walker. Grinols and Mustard reply.
Another researcher, Michael Wenz from Winona State University, just published "Matching estimation, casino gambling and the quality of life," LIINK, The Annals of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 235-249, March, 2008.
Wenz writes on his blog:
If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? In the latest Econ Journal Watch, Grinols and Mustard take on Doug Walker's critique and conclude with this:
Although he reiterates our discussion that these concerns may bias our results, he provides no new evidence that they in fact occur or are important if they do occur.
That's kind of a weak reply.
For what it's worth, I think the first criticism is interesting, that if you're going to talk about crime rates in tourist-heavy areas, you ought to count the tourists as part of the population in determining the rate. I also think the issue of selection is critical (see here), but my general bias is that if you can't think up a way to deal with selection bias, then you may as well just present the results until someone else can come up with a clever trick to address the selection issue. On this I guess I agree with the original authors. The other three critiques seem somewhat shallow too--a lack of perfect data doesn't seem to me to be an excuse not to study something. That said, I kind of agree that the original paper and the original authors overstate their findings a bit, and anything that reigns in the strength of the conclusions from Grinols and Mustard is OK with me. (Emphasis mine)
Related newspaper article: "Feared racino crime yet to materialize" November 25, 2006 - Bangor Daily News. Here's an excerpt with a sentence which I wish I had written highlighted in red:
Because it is so widespread, gambling has been the subject of a parade of studies of differing conclusions, as noted in the 1999 report by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission report, a panel appointed and funded by Congress to determine the economic and social consequences of gambling.
"The reliability of many of these studies, however, is questionable," the report states.
"As one commentator observed: ‘The story of the relationship between legalized casino gambling and street crime is far from written. The problem is that although a great deal has been written on the subject, so much of the writing on all sides is bombast and blather that it is difficult to discern any strong facts.’"
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Casino advocate's popular message board taken down
3/29/03 It must say something about the casino controversy when even the blogs and message boards about it make the news. Not that this website can legitimately be called a news site, but there's no doubt the Cape Cod Times Online is a news website and they did cover the blogging wars (see "Hitler allusion inflames casino debate" - March 9, 2008). One of the most read and posted on message boards belonged to Mike Quish, or "Mr. Limo".
Since Casino-Friend.com may be looked at some day as part of the history of the great Middleboro casino controversy, I wanted to note with regret the passing of this lively and interesting forum which attracted both proponents and opponents of the casino. It is unfortunate that its demise came about because some people apparently wanted to drive it offline. COMMENT HERE | 0 COMMENTS
PDF images of the site plans for the new resort casino: Image One | Image Two | Image Three
Depending on how your browser opens PDF files, you may be able to zoom in on parts of the images by clicking plus ( + ) on top of the page. For those who envisioned a Boston style skyscraper here in Middleboro, at 18 stories high the hotel would be about this tall (click for image) measured on Boston's Keystone Building. which is listed on Wikipedia at 32 stories. Details described in The Enterprise here.
What didn't get quoted in the Standard Times article
3/23/08 Reporter Steve DeCosta, who has been covering the casino issue for The Standard Times, quotes a number of people on both sides of the casino controversy in his article "WHAT NOW? Players in the casino competition contemplate next steps after House torpedoes Patrick's proposal."
Here's the second half of what I told him which didn't get published:
I doubt very much if the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will hear anything they haven't anticipated from both sides in the two hearings next week, although they may be surprised to read the letter I have already sent in support of the Mashpee casino. That is because I am a clinical social worker and psychotherapist with 37 years of experience, and I still support casino gambling as long as adequate prevention, education and treatment programs are in place.
3/22/08 After Mashpee and other tribe members, Middleboro residents are the next priority for jobs at the casino. The Boston Globe (link above) describes some of the many jobs that will be open to Middleboro residents who are qualified. There is also an online survey which at this writing had 918 respondents answering the question "would you be interested in working at a casino?" 37% said yes, they thought their skills were made for casino work, and another 21% said they needed a job and would work anywhere. 27% said they didn't have the skills to work at a casino. Only 15% said they didn't approve of gambling and wouldn't work anywhere near a casino.
As politics play out in the statehouse, Mashpee move forward
3/19/08 Yesterday's news from Beacon Hill was all about casinos, statewide commercial casinos. The following excerpts from an Ottoway News article (HERE) show how much (or really how little) of this is relevant to Middleboro:
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe decided not to attend*, even though the impact of the tribe’s recent federal recognition weighed heavily on the proceedings. The tribe is seeking land in federal trust for an Indian casino in Middleboro.
Economic Development Secretary Daniel O’Connell said the tribe had a “strong likelihood” of opening at least a Class II Indian casino that would already be legal under state law. It would allow the tribe to offer so-called “bingo slots,” which are virtually identical to full slot machines.
The Mashpee Wampanoag and the federal government have declined the state’s request for information on its casino development deal, O’Connell said.
* According to an article in The Enterprise, Mashpee member of the tribal council Yvonne Avant watched the proceedings briefly from the balcony.
An interesting quote comes from Rep. Tom Calter, who residents of Middleboro are familiar with as he has taken a very public stand against having any kind of casino here, comeercial or reservation:
The Greater Middleboro caucus — state Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, D-Taunton, Rep. Thomas P. Calter, D-Kingston, and Rep. Stephen R. Canessa, D-New Bedford — testified in favor of commercial gambling and called for the measure to move out of committee and be debated before the House of Representatives.
“The Indian casino is on the way folks. The question is who’s going to control it?” Calter said.
Aso in article in The Enterprise
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Another twist on the winding casino road: Race track slots would open door to class III Mashpee casino gambling
3/17/08 According to an article in The Enterprise (see Bridgewater state representative touts slot machines at race tracks:
The Bridgewater state representative predicts the governor’s casino bill will fail ) state Rep. David L. Flynn, D-Bridgewater doesn't think the prospects for either Patrick's bill or the Mashpee reservation casino are very good.
He is sponsoring bills to allow slot machinesat the state’s four racetracks, one of which is Raynham Park, the greyhound track in the town adjacent to Middleboro.
What is interesting about this for the town of Middleboro and the Mashpee tribe is that in the unlikely event so-called racinos are legalized, if they include class III slots as I think they would, this means that when the Mashpee open their casino, the same slots would also be legal there.
On the front page of the Washington Post, article about Mass. casinos omits reference to Mashpee's Middleboro plan
3/15/08 On the web today and slated to be on the print front page of Sunday's Washington Post is an article, Massachusetts Governor Considers a Gamble , which addresses Gov. Patricks plans for commercial casinos. I find it surprising that a newspaper based in Washington, D.C. doesn't even mention the fact that an Indian tribe is going thorugh a federal process to put a reservation casino in Massachusetts.
This seems to demonstrate that even one of the most influential newspapers in the country doesn't grasp the whole picture of what's happening here in Massachusetts on the casino issue.
To think, before the Mashpee purchased the land in Middleboro and announced their intentions to build a resort casino here, none of us even kept track of casino and gambling news. Now we see that every day there are new articles about casinos and gambling from the media around the world. Here's a sample from today's Google News if you simply search the word "casinos". If you want to check the links below click here.
Foes of planned Michigan tribal casinos build opposition
MLive.com, MI - 15 hours ago
By KEN THOMAS AP WASHINGTON (AP) — Key House members built opposition Friday to two proposed Indian casinos in Michigan, arguing that the deals would set a ...
Conyers, Kilpatrick voice concerns anew over casino plans Detroit Free Press
Foes of planned Michigan tribal casinos build opposition WLNS
Casino bills take one more step Port Huron Times Herald
Casino City Times
all 12 news articles »
Boston Globe
Tensions flare over Patrick's casino plan
Boston Globe, United States - Mar 14, 2008
The state's already tense gambling debate erupted into a political brawl yesterday, as casino proponents charged that House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is ...
Bosley faces heat on casinos Berkshire Eagle
Sal ‘digging in’ on fight vs. casinos Boston Herald
Senators to DiMasi: Lighten up Boston Herald
Boston Herald - Boston Herald
all 46 news articles »
House Speaker Richards, others, meet with horse industry on casinos
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY - 3 hours ago
Breaking with his personal policy regarding the casino issue for this year's legislative session, House Speaker Jody Richards said yesterday that he met ...
Beshear Talks Casinos In N.Ky. WCPO
Richards meets with horse industry on casinos Louisville Courier-Journal
Beshear To Renew Casino Push Kentucky Post
Louisville Courier-Journal - WAVE
all 20 news articles »
PartTimePoker News
Massachusetts Governor Considers a Gamble
Washington Post, United States - 46 minutes ago
But there is ambivalence, and worry, about one effort being discussed: a massive casino resort to be built nearby, one of three casinos to be opened in the ...
The state and casinos: Protector or predator? Amherst Bulletin
Study dissects Patrick’s casino jackpot Worcester Telegram
Gambling Industry Spent $1.3 Million Lobbying Mass Officials In 2003 BostonNOW
Casino City Times
all 7 news articles »
Proposal To Ban Casino Smoking Is Being Retooled
TheDay, CT - 3 hours ago
By Ted Mann , Hartford — Lawmakers hoping to expand Connecticut's smoking ban to two tribal-owned casinos are moderating the language of their proposal on ...
Talks On Casino Smoking Urged Hartford Courant
Attorney General: State Can Ban Smoking In Indian Casinos Hartford Courant
AG: State Can Ban Smoking In Indian Casinos Hartford Courant
Newsday - Norwalk Plus Magazine
all 31 news articles »
Casinos feel pinch from smoking ban, economy
Southtown Star, IL - 4 hours ago
By Maisie Ramsay, Medill News Service In the wake of a stunning 17 percent decrease in Illinois casino income since smoking was banned Jan. ...
Hansen: Banning yourself from casinos has its inconveniences
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA - 4 hours ago
Then she got smart, realized she had a problem - an addiction - went for counseling and started banning herself voluntarily from the casinos. ...
Providence Journal
Tribal Casinos Making Mistake Fighting Dealer Union Activity
Casino Gambling Web, FL - 18 hours ago
While Indian tribes continue to build casino on their sovereign land, and disregard state law, they are fighting a losing battle against unions. ...
Judge upholds union vote at Foxwoods Providence Journal
Judge: No misconduct in Foxwoods labor union vote Boston Globe
all 29 news articles »
Diamond I Announces Plans to Open Additional Online Casinos
CNNMoney.com - Mar 13, 2008
Diamond I, Inc. (OTCBB: DMOI) announced today that it intends to open additional online virtual casinos in the near future. DMOI's determination is based on ...
Registered Casino Players at Diamond I's Free Poker Web Site ... CNNMoney.com
all 12 news articles »
GUEST VIEW: City could mold casino to its needs
SouthCoastToday.com, MA - 8 hours ago
As a supporter of New Bedford's effort to attract a destination casino, I couldn't agree more — Atlantic City is a deeply flawed model of urban gaming, ...
Should Mass Gamble On Patrick's "Big Dig Casino" Project? BostonNOW
Revere set for casino discussion The Daily Item of Lynn
Brockton mayor says ‘yes’ to casinos Enterprise News
all 7 news articles »
3/13/08 From the Carver Reporter:
(Carver) Conservation Agent Sarah Hewins recently drafted a letter to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne speaking to the environmental and quality of life impacts a casino would have on rural areas within the commonwealth.
She wrote that should the Middleboro land go into trust and the Wampanoag tribe be declared a sovereign nation, there would be no federal, state or local regulations required for the development of a casino. “The quality of unregulated tribal surface waters and wetlands could be so negatively affected that the quality of non-tribal surface waters and wetlands could be impacted so that they no longer function to provide flood control, ground water recharge and groundwater quality for any of us, including the town of Carver,” she wrote.
Hewins said a mega casino would “blatantly pervert” the region’s identity as a group of rural communities and would “make a mockery of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ current efforts to protect the remaining open space in the region for aquifer recharge and aquifer health.”
Reservations casinos are governed by federal indian gaming regulations. They are also under the jurisdiction of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Midleboro does not get its water from the Plymouth Carver aquifer. In fact, it sells water to parts of Carver from its own aquifer. Middleboro has ample water to supply the needs of the casino.
I rather doubt that the resort casino, with the anticipated golf course and other green space, and most likely a parking garage, will be as damaging to the environment as shopping complexes like Colony Place and Shops at Five in Plymouth. They have sprawling parking lots and shops spread out over many acres.
Getting real, I mean, getting really real...
3/10/08 From the beginning of this website I took a certain amount of heat from a few pro-casino advocates for addressing the cons along with the pros of having a Mashpee Indian casino in Middleboro. Before the proliferation of casino related blogs, along with the anti-casino website CasinoFacts.org, I provided a forum for those anti-casino citizens who were willing to sign their letters to get them online. When it made sense to me I tried to refute erroneous or exaggerated suppositions.
I believe that to be credible I have to forthrightly address the drawbacks of having a resort casino in Middleboro. Currently with far more information than was available when many of us on both sides began looking at the pros and cons of a casino here in Middleboro I maintain my opinion that the pros significantly outweigh the cons. Furthermore I believe now more than ever that the cons can be mitigated and in some cases eliminated.
Currently as I follow ten or more new media stories and blogs which have new postings every day, even the ones that are anoymous, I'm struck by how myths about the Middleboro casino persist. I am also disappointed when bloggers cherry pick news reports, a prime example being the blog called Bellicose Bumpkin (by CasinoFacts co-founder Mark Belanger) who quotes Derrick Jackson's Mar. 4th Boston Globe OpEd "The ills that casinos bring" , without referencing the other side espoused in the same paper on March 10th, "Two views of casino industry impact"
I tend to ignore much of the debate about whether Governor Patrick's plan for three commercial casinos in Massachusetts makes economic sense for the state, leaving that to credentialed economists. I prefer to let the politicians figure out whether Connecticut is bluffing when they say they plan to open even more casinos to compete with any casinos we build in the western part of the state (see "A Casino Arms Race Could Burn Us All" from The Day).
My interest continues to be in whether the Mashpee Middleboro resort - casino, on balance, represents a benefit to Middleboro, the Mashpee, and the south shore. I believe it is in the best ibnterest of the tribe, the town of Middleboro, and even the state, if the Mashpee and state work out a reasonable compact and put aside the consideration of an Indian owned commercial casino here in Middleboro.
I'm going to address some of the claims being made on both sides by people who act as if they have infallible crystal balls.
At the risk of alienating some of my pro-casino friends, I will respond to what I think is some of their more pro-casino hype, which really isn't etched in stone. I like predictions to be laebled as such, and justified with background information.
The primary pro-casino "hype" is that the resort casino will turn Middleboro and the surrounding towns into Shangri-La. It's not that I disagree that there is potential for tremendous economic growth and that the resort casino will prove to be a boon to the economy.
It's simply that the degree to which this will happen is an unknown. Some businesses will suffer while others will grow. I think maintaining a no-spin stance demands that pro-casino spokespersons simply admit that the factors for overall growth will be present and with smart planning can be enhanced. There are abundant opportunities for business growth that only a mega-resort (forget about it also being a casino) can bring to any area if planners and entrepreneurs have vision.
Governor Patrick didn't do his plan any good by putting out the 30,000 new job figure. Middleboro wasn't responsible for this but it did hurt our cause. The fact is that we know that there will be thousands of new jobs in both the construction phase and the operation of the casino.
Now comes the far longer list of the anti-casino distortions.
First there is the assumption, and I use this word quite deliberately, that the resort -casino will be an unmitigated disaster for Middlboro and the area. Considering the fact that the mitigation planning process has and continues to be rigorous, such a claim is without merit.
Some reporters and bloggers insist that because resort -casino guests spend their money at the facility they spend less locally. This may be true. However, they don't mention the fact that thousands of employees are going to be buying all kinds of goods and services in the local communities. Many of these employees will also have a higher income than they had previously.
Depending on the weight one places on various negatives associated with a billion dollar resort casino, from gambling addiction to increased demands on the schools, one can fairly say that one or more of these represent a disaster. If you want to define something as a disaster based on your values, that is fine with me. But every negative stated so far has been the subject of mitigation planning.
Another often used negative relates to the influx of new students to Middleboro schools. The number 1,000 is frequently used but this is all based on a worst case prediction. Linked to this is another number. That is the 30 some new languages students will suposedly bring to the schools and the added burden of teaching them. But I have heard none of the casino opponents who bring this up explain that English as a second language (ESL) teachers are trained to teach non-English speakers without having to understand their language.
I bet there are many residents that think our schools will actually have to hire teachers fluent in everything from Bulgarian to every dialect of Chinese.
Next we have the anti-casino forces who insist that the land into trust process is not guaranteed to be successful, and if it is, may take many years, but they make this claim as if they have some inside information. Of course there is no guarantee. But they use as their so-called proof the experiences of other tribes in other situations without admitting they really know nothing about the actual chances of the Mashpee application which is unique in many ways.
Another issue comes up is the class II vs. class III controversy. Opponents of the Indian casino make a big point about how class III slots are much more lucrative than class II (bingo) slots. They say that the tribe's backers will pull out if the tribe is forced to open an initial casino with only limited class II gambling. How do they know that?
And then there's the backers, who are depicted by some bloggers as shady entrepreneurs out to bilk the less sophisticated Mashpee. As insulting as this is to the tribe and the lawyers who worked with them to put together a deal with the backers, it misses the point that deep pocket casino backers are necessary for any tribe to build a billion dollar facility.
Is the deal perfect from the tribe's point of view? Who knows? Certainly not the casino critics who say they have the best interest of the Mashpee at heart as they seem to spit out the word "backers" as if it is synonymous with highway robber.
Even if the backers make truckloads of money off their investment, I rather doubt the tribe will be kicking themselves on the way to their new health centers, scholarships, and as they avail themselves of all the other benefits because they think they could have squeezed a few extra dollars from the backers.
What about the comparisons we consistently read about how Middleboro will become another Atlantic City or Las Vegas? Taken in turn, each is ridiculous.
Atlantic City was a city long past its prime as a seaside resort when casinos came in. You can read the claim and counter claim about Atlantic City here.
Las Vegas was built by mobsters in the middle of the desert and for all its unsavory past, has become a thriving city.
While comparing the proposed Mashpee Middleboro resort casino to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun makes more sense we can't draw absolute parallels for a number of reasons.
Both the Mashpee tribe and the town of Middleboro are learning from mistakes made, or things that simply could have been done better, in both casinos.
Comparing the towns and immediate areas surround Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and likening them to Middlboro isn't reasonable either. There are many differences that make Middleboro a better site for a large destination resort casino. Not only will the facility be set on a large tract of land surrounded by other undeveloped land and suburban type residences most on two acre lots, but it is close to a major expressway, a rail connection to Boston that may be expanded, and has one regional and one major international airport an hour away. And let's not forget the proximity of Plymouth and its historic connect with the tribe and the Pilgrims.
The resort casino should become not only a major vacation destination for the half of the United States, but an international desination for European tourists as well.
Significantly it is an hour's drive to two of the top tourist destinations in the United States, if not the world, Boston and Cape Cod.
If you're not a problem gambler and want to spend your money trying to beat incredible odds, go ahead. Buyer Beware and Be Aware! But gambling addiction is still something that needs to be addressed.
You could write volumes about gambling addition. Every day in the national and international press there are about a dozen new articles about it. But the fact that is often overlooked by the antis is that there are degrees of compulsive gambling from people who spend more than they plan to right up to people who have gambling addiction, a psychiatric disorder.
Compulsive gambling and full-fledged addiction, until recently thought to be difficult if not impossible to cure, are now responding to newer approaches to treatment. Some reports that people even get better without treatment at all.
What the antis often overlook as that there is a huge attraction to the notion that you can get something for nothing, or more precisely, get a lot for very little, and have fun in the process. They make a point of how slot machines are designed to foster the belief that if you play long enough your adds of winning increase. I assume even lottery tickets are designed this way. People watch the slot wheel spin and see a near jackpot, or scratch off an almost but not quite win on a lottery ticket, and it spurs them on to play again.
Putting a ten dollar bill into a slot machine isn't the same as falling into quick sand. But none-the-less, people who gamble should be aware of the myths. Here's a good article from Canada. Take the quiz on the second page to see how many of the myths you believe.
This week Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are helping to sponsor a week long workshop on problem gambling (see "Gambling's Darker Side Will Be Focus For A Week")
Playing the odds and believing you can beat them are part of the game and not as insidious as some people make it out to be. Still, people are naturally superstitious, they want to believe in magic, in good luck charms and secret methods of beating the odds, and part of good gambling education includes disabusing them of these beliefs while educating them about playing the odds.
I have no problem with people being against the Middleboro resort casino for reasons that can be justified in fact. I do have a problem with people spinning worst case yarns - trying through the power of suggestion to paint a picture of prostitutes on every downtown street corner, of police running from one suicide call to another and DSS inundated by child abuse calls.
There are social problems that come with a resort that relies on gambling, especially on slot machines, for the majority of its income. But let's look the fact that Middleboro isn't Maui. Neither Middleboro nor the Mashpee would stand a chance of having a resort of this size here without gambling.
The anti-casino rhetoric
3/4/08 We objected when we felt that CasinoFacts, the original Middleboro anti-casino organization, persisted in painting a Middleboro casino as having few if any benefits to the community. It is wrong for those who do not want to have a casino in Middleboro to insist that there are absolutely no benefits.
Their anti-casino position would be enhanced among those who are trying to reasonably look at the complexities of the issues if they choose to articulate the pros and cons and explain why they think that the later outweigh the former.
As noted in my piece about The Boston Globe,, I'd like to see all website's devoted to the casino, and all those who give interviews to the media, eschew hyperbole. However there's more. Why can't the anti-casino blogs put a damper on their inflammatory rhetoric?
I'm struck by the harsh, and yes one might say bellicose, tone of verbiage on some of the anti-casino blogs which are connected by links to CasinoFacts. They range from snarky to insulting to grasping for any negative no matter how specious it is. Here's an example from an entry today on the Bellicose Bumpkin blog by one of the founders of CasinoFacts, Mark Belanger:
"Casinos and corruption go hand in hand. If these "facilities" are so great for jobs, state revenue, and local revenue, why do they always have to hire high-priced lobbyists, tribal spokesFersons*, and more often than not, hook up with the likes of Abramoff and Dennis Troha." (Troha, Belanger tells us is " - a local business leader is involved with this project**. And oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, they're building an entertainment destination center and casino.")***
*A reference to Mashpee spokesperson Scott Ferson. ED.
** By the Mohegan tribe.
*** and casino in small letters
I hardly think such language enhances credibility. Furthermore, it is dirty politics to put out the idea that Scott Ferson may be another Jack Abramoff.
Obvously I'm not managing public relations for CasinoFacts. I took all links off Casino-Friend because I wanted to be certain it published only material that was both credible and civil.
Many of the blogs on CasinoFacts make excellent points. The authors do their homework and are capable writers. Some of them are quite clever and adept at throwing needle sharp barbs, but this is a serious discussion.
If I wanted to lighten up the debate on Casino-Friend I'd include a comic strip.
Date set for Mashee BIA hearing
2/29/08 The hearing for the public to express environmental concerns to the Buerau of Indian Affairs over the Mashpee Wampanoag application to put land into trust in Middleboro will be held on Tuesday, March 25 th in the high school auditorium. The meeting in Mashpee will be the next evening.
By Anonymous
2/27/08 Yesterday I wrote, as an aside: I hope the board would consider adopting a policy that said that only letters from organizations that had names attached to them would be considered legitimate. Since then I have been informed that the board's policy is not to respond to anonymous letters or complaints.
2/26/08 Publications that would never publish an anonymous letter in their letters to the editor (for example this letter about casinos to The Standard Times) sections regularly link to blogs signed by made up names, like this casino related entry by "oldmole" from Boston Now.
It's the Internet era, where much communication seems to have gone electronic leaving the good old typewriter, paper, copy machine and U.S. mail as relics of a bye gone era. Real signatures are optional.
With this in mind, I was surprised when the letter sent, supposedly by a new organization called "Wampanoag Casino Resort Supporters of Cape Cod" asking for a ballot referendum on whether Middleboro residents wanted a casino was discussed for five or ten minutes at the selectman's meeting.
Rich Young, head of Casino Facts said he got a copy of this and had no idea where it came from. Nobody I 've asked knows where it came from.
Presumably the so-called organization supports the resoprt casino; but prior to this the only people who seemed interested in the "do you want a casino in Middleboro" no vote were the opponents of the casino.
The end result of the selectman's discussion was that the board voted the request was moot because the question was already voted on at Town Meeting, and there would be nothing on the ballot about the casino.
What this demonstrates is that the written letter can be effective even when it comes unsigned. I thought such letters were only taken seriously when they contained some kind of threat. Although the goal of whoever wrote the letter wasn't achieved, quite the contrary, the letter itself got attention.
My hunch is that there is no such organization as this and the letter was written by an individual, probably not actively affiliated with any casino group, who wanted to appear to be an organization. I think whoever it was felt afraid that using email wasn't secure because it might reveal their identity, and that the best way to make this request with the assurance that their identity would remain hidden was through a letter.
Presumably they would have worn latex gloves to avoid finger prints.
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