“If you embrace casino gambling, you’d better love casino gambling. If you marry a whore, you’d better be proud of her. We did in Vegas. But in Atlantic City they married a whore and they put chains on her and put her in the basement because they’re ashamed of her. Well, if you’re ashamed of gambling, don’t have it.”
—Former UNLV Professor William Thompson, who has made a career on spreading anti-gaming rhetoric, to the readers of Massachusetts’ South Coast Today
“One of the reasons why the liberal leaders in this state are for casinos is they did not bring real jobs, manufacturing or otherwise, to this state. So they go with casinos.”
—Mark Fisher, GOP candidate for governor of Massachusetts, commenting on why he favors repeal of the 2011 gaming expansion law that authorizes one slots parlor and three casino resorts in the Bay State
“Newport Grand is currently losing business and with the new casinos emerging in Massachusetts and Connecticut, this could negatively impact the casino even further. In order for Newport to guarantee jobs and business in their area, they just might need to agree to lifting the ban on table games.”
—Jenny McKinnley, writing in favor of allowing the Newport Grand slots parlor in Rhode Island to add table games
“We’re not thinking the right way about things that really do create sustainable lasting job creation if we think casinos are really our answer to that.”
–Charlie Baker, Republican candidate for governor in Massachusetts, when asked if he would vote in favor of an initiative that would repeal the state’s gaming expansion law of 2011
“If it disqualifies our partner without even giving them an opportunity to apply, we would have to fight that.”
—Robert Martin, chairman of the Morongo tribe, commenting on a proposed online poker bill with a “bad actor” provision aimed at PokerStars, Morongo’s partner in online poker
“Caesars and the citizens of the Commonwealth deserve to know the truth about the conduct of the leader of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.”
—Caesars Entertainment CEO and Chairman Gary Loveman announcing Caesars plans to appeal a ruling that dismissed the gaming company’s lawsuit against Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby
“Has it affected my personal life? Has it affected my professional life? Have I lost all my money? There’s nothing negative about what I’ve been doing lately.”
?Dana White, UFC president, on his reputation for compulsive gambling
“More casinos will mean more gaming revenue and new jobs, but the long-term impact for the state remains unclear. It will inevitably create both winners and losers in the years ahead. Such activity primarily represents substitution of spending on casino gambling for other consumer purchases or spending at other existing gaming venues, such as OTB centers.”
?Thomas DiNapoli, comptroller, New York State, warning lawmakers and residents to be realistic about casino revenue projections
“It’s a farming community complete with Amish and horse and buggies along with large tractors, farm implements and multi-generation families. We want to keep it this way.”
?Desiree Dawley, Casino Free Tyre, on anti-casino sentiment in the town of 900 people in New York
“They’re looking at it from the merits of how it impacts them. We were looking at it from a standpoint of how this affects our constituents from an economic standpoint, and it clearly would have been good as far as jobs go.”
?Ryan McMahon, Onondonga County, NY, legislator, on opposition to a casino in Tyre, almost 50 miles away
“Being opposed to a tax-exempt, sovereign Native American casino in your community is not the same thing as being ‘anti-Indian,’ and any suggestion that they are the same is offensive.”
?No More Casinos, an anti-casino group funded by racetrack interests in New York, in response to a statement by the Seneca tribe that its opposition to another Seneca casino is based on racial bias
“This is the meeting of American icons—the Las Vegas Strip, Hershey’s and the New York-New York skyline. We couldn’t have chosen a better location.”
?Lael Hunt, an official with Hershey’s, on the opening of Hershey’s Chocolate World in Las Vegas
“As I think through it, unless I’m convinced otherwise, it’s not something I would support. I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to betting. The state has done fine on sports and horse race betting and other events.”
?Brian Sandoval, governor of Nevada, on a bill that would allow betting on the U.S. presidential election and other federal contests
“The second phase of Cotai is going to create major headaches for Macau. Besides the obvious benefits brought by the gaming industry—the economic resources and the demand created for local companies—we already have an overheated economy and a strangulation in terms of human resources.”
—Macau economist Albano Martins, questioning the ability of Macau’s local population to staff the next wave of resorts in the Cotai district
“How many dice games can you run in a minute? Lots. But there’s 20 minutes between horse races. It’s just not very efficient as a gambling vehicle.”
—Michigan law professor and lifelong racing fan Charles Palmer, on the inability of racetracks to compete with casinos for gaming dollars
