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CasinoFacts and CasinoFreeMass president puts political muscle behind statewide casino advocate

4/3/08 Rich Young of Middleboro is the president of two Massachusetts organizations organized in oposition to casinos in the state. One, CasinoFacts, is local and primarily focused on stopping the proposed Mashpee casino in Middleboro. The other, CasinoFreeMass, is opposed to any and all casinos in Massachusetts.

Leaders of both groups were outspoken in their condemnation of Governor Deval Patrick's proposal for three commercial casinos in Massacusetts.

Representative Tom Calter has been a strong voice speaking out against a Middleboro casino. However, he did support Governor Patrick's proposal for three commercial casinos. In his first speech on the floor of the House he adressed the casino issue:

He (Calter) said casino gambling was inevitable and because of that, the state should set the rules through the commercial licensing process. If it doesn't, the Wampanoag tribe will be exempt from many state regulations through federal Indian gaming laws.

'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,' Calter said. Associated Press, 3/20/08.

Those involved in the movement to stop the Middleboro casino have a variety of reasons for opposing it from their serious concerns about gambling addiction and crime to worries about traffic, the environment and light pollution.

CasinoFreeMass, the statewide coalition of about a dozen organizations, some newly formed and others having been active for many years, wants to stop all casinos in Massachusetts. Their membership includes the Middleboro based CasinoFacts and other organizations which obect to gambling because they don't think other benefits outweigh the social costs. The exception to this might be the two groups listed as "partners", Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association a they may oppose casinos because they view them as competing with local businesses.

Representative Calter does not condemn casino gambling in general. Quite the contrary. Consider this:

State Representative Thomas Calter, a Kingston Democrat who backed the governor's plan for commercial casino licensing, said he will continue to fight for commercial casinos and against the Mashpee Wampanoag plan for Middleborough.

"I think the Mashpee Wampanoag will proceed through the process and we will continue to scrutinize it," Calter said. "I'm against Indian gaming due to its lack of oversight.

"I plan to continue to work with members of the Legislature, so whenever we take up commercial gaming again, each will have a clear idea of the differences between Indian gaming and commercial gaming." Boston Globe, 3/30/08

Rep. Calter suported Gov. Patrick’s casino proposal, which CasinoFreeMass says is "a move to transform Massachusetts to the gambling capital of the Northeast, a dominant player in the industry." They believe that if we have casinos here "the image and reputation of Massachusetts as a clean, family-friendly state that is finally attracting businesses would be transformed into a 'casino culture.' "

Despite this, Rich Young, president of CasinoFreeMass, along with John Lesham, vice president of CasinoFacts, is co-hosting a campaign kick-off breakfast for Calter on September 5th in Plympton. Young notes in an email that "Tom has helped John and I with our fight against the Casino in Middleboro. We want to show our appreciation to him by running this event."