“This is huge. It is monumental. Here is the head of a sovereign tribal nation coming to meet little old Palmer.”
—Robert Young, spokesman for Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino, commenting on a visit by Mohegan tribal chairman Lynn Malerba to reconfirm her tribe’s commitment to a casino resort in the Massachusetts town

“We have this world-class facility here. It would be absolutely tragic if we weren't able to entertain the public and conduct racing here during the summer here in Chicago."
—Roy Arnold, president of Arlington Park racetrack in Illinois, arguing for the state’s racetracks being allowed to deploy slot machines in order to keep from going out of business

“There should always be an effort of some sort that people need to make to game, and to have people sitting around in their pajamas in their kitchen all day long gambling on their computers is not a good thing.”
—Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano, on his personal opposition to online gaming in an interview with Global Gaming Business magazine

“Obviously, I’ve put my reputation on the line. That’s why I picked Penn National. They know the market. They’re first-class, honest and trustworthy. I would settle for nothing less.”
—Gettysburg businessman David LeVan, speaking to a crowd at a job forum for his proposed Mason Dixon Resort Casino near the historic town, on picking Penn National Gaming to manage the casino

“We are not shooting for the high-roller market. We are going for a middle-class market, with discretionary income.”
—Atlantic City attorney John Donnelly, an investor in a resort casino proposed by license applicant Penn Harris Gaming, which would place a casino at a Holiday Inn near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with an adjacent RV park to satisfy the minimum room requirement

“A fiscal Tinkerbell of sorts, sprinkling casino cash around the state like pixie dust.”
—A description in the Newark Star-Ledger of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which distributes a portion of casino revenues to state and municipal projects; Governor Chris Christie is now calling for all CRDA money to remain in Atlantic City

“It’s a screw-the-north policy.”
—New Jersey Senator Dick Codey, who says because North Jersey bettors play in Atlantic City, their communities should continue to benefit from CRDA revenues

“If Atlantic City dies, there’s no casino money for anyone.”
—Star Ledger editorial, endorsing the Christie plan to reserve CRDA money for Atlantic City

“It's the best news New York racing has had in 30 years.”
—Joe McMahon, owner of McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga Springs, on the coming Aqueduct racino

“We’re very well positioned to compete against convenience gaming. We’re not being cocky, but we’re ready to act immediately.”
—Robert Victoria, director of marketing for Foxwoods, on the specter of possible casino gaming in Massachusetts

“The Resorts World name will be instantly familiar to international clientele and will provide a comfort level and a desirable destination.”

—The New York State Lottery, on the name given to the Aqueduct racino complex by operator Genting NYC

“It’s unrealistic for us to expect tourists to make it their new vacation destination unless we first change the perception that it’s a dangerous city.”
—New Jersey Senator Jeff Van Drew, who is proposing additional police officers to patrol Atlantic City

“Home rule has to be sacrificed when we are dealing with regional problems.”
—Former New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne, who ushered in casino gaming. In an op-ed piece, Byrne said Atlantic City historically has not done a good job managing itself, and must cede control to the state

“It was corrupt, but people didn’t care, because it worked. The system took care of people’s needs, and the money came from out-of-towners.”
—Historian Nelson Johnson, who wrote the book Boardwalk Empire, about Atlantic City from its early corrupt history. While the system today is just as corrupt, according to the New York Times, it no longer works for the people

“Go a block off the Boardwalk and you're in Beirut, basically.”
—Gaming analyst Robert LaFleur, on Atlantic City

“No company is going to invest in Atlantic City if it believes the rug will be pulled out if the industry cannot turn itself around by next year.”
—Gaming and PR professional Wayne Schaffel, who says New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's plan to save Atlantic City is “too little, too late,” and undermined by the arbitrary 1-year deadline for improvement

“We’re moving away from the adult programming because it’s not the future. I think it gets in the way of who we are, and who we want to be.”
—Hugh Hefner, in an interview with The Daily Beast in late July, speaking about plans to open casinos in Macau and London  and to proceed with more “mainstream” media ventures

“Online gaming is going to happen, so we might as well have it work to the public’s advantage. Why lose all those billions of revenue?”
—Donald Trump, developer and futurist, speaking to the New York Post about the debate over the Frank bill to regulate online gaming in the U.S.

“There are some who want people to believe this election is about me. They want to raise all sorts of red herrings and diversions in order to distract us. This election is about people's jobs, our economy and an unlevel playing field that we need to fix. Those who have invested their time and money, their hopes and their dreams in this community, who have so much at stake right now, they already know that. They're not going to be distracted or divided. That's why I'm convinced the Business Retention Initiative will pass -because the people of Lincoln County know what the race track means to our present and to our future.”
—R.D. Hubbard, longtime owner of the Ruidoso Downs Race Track in New Mexico, commenting on the upcoming September 21 Business Retention Tax vote, which would let his racetrack retain $750,000 a year if it passes

By Staff