The debate over a proposed casino in Western Maine has drawn many politicians, both current and former, into the issue. With less than a week left before
CasinosNo! has been the driving group behind the opposition to a casino in Oxford. The group has called on many former politicians in their effort to sway voters, and on Wednesday, the group saved one of the biggest for last. The former governor had remarks posted on the CasinosNo! website on Wednesday.
King has long been an opponent to gambling expansion, and he painted a picture of social destruction if the casino was to be approved. King and other politicians have for years sold the premise of fear in their attempt to keep casinos out of their jurisdictions.
In many states, the citizens have started to change the fear culture. In the Northeast alone, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Connecticut have all expanded their casino options. In the Midwest, a similar situation is occurring in states such as Ohio, where voters approved casino gambling for the first time ever last November.
The Oxford casino proposal has been the main source of debate in Maine for several months. Those who are in favor of the casino point towards the thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue that the casino would create. The revenue is especially attractive with the hope that it could help with the current budget deficit.
King and others that oppose the casino are concerned that a casino could bring increased problem gambling cases in Maine, therefore offsetting the millions of dollars that could be gained. It is almost the exact debate points that have been used in other states, with the positives eventually outweighing the negatives for voters in many of these states.
October 27, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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